Stimulation of sulfated glycosaminoglycan synthesis by the tripeptide-copper complex glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2+.
Wegrowski. Y Y; Maquart. F X FX; Borel. J P JP
Key Findings
- GHK‑Cu increases total glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis in a dose‑dependent, biphasic manner.
- Maximum stimulation occurs at 10⁻⁹‑10⁻⁸ M; higher concentrations lose the effect.
- The peptide preferentially raises extracellular dermatan sulfate and cell‑associated heparan sulfate, with no change in hyaluronic acid production.
- Enhanced GAG synthesis may underlie GHK‑Cu’s reported wound‑healing properties.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, low‑dose GHK‑Cu could be explored as a topical or possibly systemic agent to support skin repair and extracellular‑matrix health, but the effective window is narrow and higher doses may be ineffective. Current evidence is limited to cell culture, so real‑world protocols should start with very low concentrations (≈1‑10 nM) and be tested cautiously, keeping expectations realistic until human data emerge.
Summary
The copper‑bound peptide GHK (GHK‑Cu) boosts the production of certain sugar chains (dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate) that fibroblasts use to build and repair tissue, but only at very low concentrations (about 1‑10 nanomolar). Higher amounts stop working and go back to normal levels, and it doesn't affect hyaluronic acid.
Abstract
Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-copper (II) complex (GHK-Cu) is a naturally occurring tripeptide with potential healing properties. We studied the effect of GHK-Cu on the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) by normal human fibroblasts in culture. Cells were incubated with 3H glucosamine and 35S sulfate and the radioactivity of isolated GAGs was determined. GHK-Cu induced a dose-dependent increase of the synthesis of total GAGs secreted into the culture medium and those associated with the cell layer. The effect of GHK-Cu was biphasic with a maximal stimulation at 10(-9) to 10(-8) M. At higher concentrations, the rate of synthesis returned progressively to that of control cultures. Electrophoretic analysis of the different GAG populations showed that GHK-Cu preferentially stimulated the synthesis of extracellular dermatan sulfate and cell layer associated heparan sulfate. No influence of GHK-Cu on the synthesis of hyaluronic acid was observed. GHK-Cu stimulation of GAG synthesis may be one of the phenomenons implicated in the wound healing properties of the peptide.
Study Information
pubmed
1992
10.1016/0024-3205(92)90504-i