When it comes to the human body, it has too many components working inside in order to keep it going. Peptide hormones are one of the key components that take part in major body functions and ensure overall health. There is a group of hormones that are called melanotropins or melanocyte-stimulating hormones. Such hormones play a major role in sexual activity, maintaining optimal energy, and also in skin and hair pigmentation. These hormones also protect against inflammation. a-MSH is one of such hormones or alpha-melanocyte hormones. Composed of 13 amino acids, this hormone is responsible for skin pigmentation, sexual behavior, and metabolic activities. The continuous research process enabled researchers to isolate a fragment of this hormone. This fragment is called KPV peptide. It has three amino acids namely Valine, Proline, and Lysine.
A study explaining the reasons for the tripeptide being an isolate was published in 1989. It also illustrated the ways the biological effects of the peptide were determined. This peptide inactivates the inflammatory pathways to exert its anti-inflammatory pathways. KPV enters the cells and prevents inflammation by interacting with signaling molecules. It is also capable of releasing proinflammatory cytokine cells in immune cells and intestinal cells. Tis helps in dealing with inflammation and swelling in the body. It suggests that it could be a part of treating diseases like inflammatory bowel syndrome and colitis. In the therapeutic field, KPV has demonstrated quite a few advantages. It can inhibit intestinal inflammation and can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent. It can also help in healing wounds and possess antipyretic properties. Unlike a-MSH hormone, it does not cause skin pigmentation.
Wound healing properties
Wound healing is a complicated process that involves three main stages- inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling of cells, tissue, or skin. Though the wound and the cells involved might differ, most cells contain a receptor called melanocortin 1 or MC1R. The a-MSH hormone binds with this receptor which suggests that the analog KPV is also capable of binding with these receptors. When a-MSH bids with the receptor, it causes skin darkening and scar forming. But the peptide is capable of induce healing without skin darkening. The tripeptide KPV also possesses antimicrobial properties. It is especially potent against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus which cause skin infection. Skin is prone to infections, especially after serious wounds. This peptide is capable of saving skin from such infections while recovering from any injury. This is exactly opposite to other medications which lower the power of the body to fight infections. KPV is capable of fighting both skin infection and inflammation at the same time. The peptide is still not available in the market as a treatment option. It is still under the process of continuous research to explore all its potential. The research is targeted at learning its potential to treat human beings as a therapeutic agent. It is only available for licensed researchers who use these products for laboratory purposes. They can buy KPV peptide for use in research purposes only.
