KPV

Overview

KPV is a three-amino-acid peptide (lysine-proline-valine) that is the C-terminal fragment of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). It retains much of the parent hormone's anti-inflammatory activity but, lacking the melanocortin core sequence, does not drive skin pigmentation. In laboratory work it inhibits NF-kB and MAP-kinase inflammatory signaling at low concentrations and is taken into intestinal cells via the PepT1 di/tripeptide transporter, which is up-regulated in inflamed gut tissue — a mechanism that has made it attractive as a potential oral gut anti-inflammatory. Critically, the efficacy evidence is essentially all preclinical: orally delivered KPV reduces the severity of chemically induced (DSS and TNBS) colitis in mice, but there are no published controlled human clinical efficacy trials. It is not FDA-approved for any indication, and human benefit should be considered unproven.

Commonly Reported Uses

These are uses commonly discussed or marketed by users and vendors — not a list of proven or approved benefits, and not a recommendation.

• Gut inflammation / inflammatory bowel disease support (marketed claim; mouse data only, no human trials)
• General anti-inflammatory / immune modulation (marketed claim; preclinical)
• Skin inflammation and wound support, topical or oral (marketed claim; preclinical)

What to Track

Data points you and your clinician might monitor. For observation only — not a diagnostic protocol.

• Subjective — daily gut symptoms (pain, urgency, stool frequency, bloating) for a tracked GI goal
• Labs — hs-CRP and, where a clinician monitors GI inflammation, fecal calprotectin
• Labs — IL-6 or other inflammatory cytokines if a clinician is tracking them
• Subjective — skin irritation/flare scores if used topically
• Subjective — energy and overall recovery

Sources & References

1. [1]PepT1-Mediated Tripeptide KPV Uptake Reduces Intestinal Inflammation — PMC
2. [2]KPV (Lys-Pro-Val) — PubChem