ACTH (4-10) (human, mouse, rat, porcine, bovine, ovine) (trifluoroacetate salt)

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (4-10) is an endogenous peptide fragment of ACTH, a peptide hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland that is involved in the biological stress response. ACTH (4-10) is found in the septal nuclei, the third ventricle, and ventral horn motor neurons. The amino acid sequence of ACTH (4-10) is common to ACTH and the α- and β-melanocyte stimulating hormones. ACTH (4-10) is an agonist of melanocortin receptor 3 (MC3R) and MC4R (EC50s = 23 and 330 nM for the human recombinant receptors, respectively). It increases mean arterial pressure (ED50 = 287 nmol/kg) and heart rate (ED50 = 313 nmol/kg) in rats. It also improves aortic and coronary blood flow and left ventricular developed pressure following cardiac ischemia and reperfusion when administered at a dose of 200 µg/kg in rats, as well as reduces the infarct size and decreases caspase-3 activity. ACTH (4-10) (10 µg per animal) accelerates motor function improvements in a rat model of sciatic nerve crush.