Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu2(+) (GHK-Cu) Attenuates CuSO(4) or LPS induced-inflammation in Zebrafish larvae model.

Zebrafish larvae were exposed to either copper sulfate or lipopolysaccharide, two substances that trigger acute inflammation, and were then given GHK-Cu, a copper-peptide complex used in skin products. The researchers tracked the larvae over a short period, counting how many neutrophils and macrophages, two types of immune cells, moved to the site of inflammation. They also measured levels of inflammatory signaling molecules, including tnf-a, il-1β, and il6, and found these went down, while the anti-inflammatory molecule il-10 went up. In addition, the paper reports that GHK-Cu reduced oxidative stress markers like nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, and improved activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. The authors also found that the compound lowered activity in the JAK1 signaling pathway, which is involved in inflammation, and concluded that GHK-Cu has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

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