VIP
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a 28-amino-acid neuropeptide first isolated from porcine small intestine by Said and Mutt in 1970, named for its ability to relax blood vessels. It belongs to the secretin/glucagon peptide family and is closely related to pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). VIP is widely distributed in central and peripheral neurons, and in immune cells.
Product Specifications
- Product: VIP
- Amount: See available options above
- Form: Lyophilized powder
- Purity: Third-party tested by an ISO 17025 U.S. laboratory. See the batch Certificate of Analysis (COA) on this page.
- Storage: Keep sealed and refrigerated at 2–8°C (36–46°F), protected from light.
- Ships from: United States, 2-day UPS
Chemical Profile
- Compound class: 28-amino-acid neuropeptide, secretin/glucagon family
- Molecular formula: C147H237N43O43S
- Molecular weight: 3326.8 g/mol
- CAS number: 37221-79-7
What researchers study
VIP acts at two class B G protein-coupled receptors, VPAC1 and VPAC2, which it shares with PACAP; a third receptor, PAC1, prefers PACAP. Both VPAC receptors couple mainly to Gs, raising intracellular cAMP and activating protein kinase A. The receptors are found in smooth muscle, epithelia, the brain, the lung and many immune cell types, which is why VIP shows up across so many research fields.
Areas where VIP is used as a research tool include:
- Vascular and smooth-muscle physiology: relaxation of isolated arterial rings, airway and gastrointestinal smooth muscle in organ-bath preparations.
- Intestinal epithelial biology: chloride and fluid secretion in intestinal cell monolayers and Ussing chamber studies.
- Neuroimmunology: effects on macrophage and dendritic cell cytokine production and T-cell differentiation in cell culture and rodent inflammation models.
- Circadian biology: VIP-expressing neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and their role in synchronizing clock cells, studied in VIP- and VPAC2-knockout mice.
- Pulmonary research: VIP signaling in airway and pulmonary vascular models.
Native VIP is rapidly broken down by peptidases, so receptor-selective and stabilized analogs are also a long-running topic of structure-activity research.
Regulatory status
VIP is not an FDA-approved drug in the United States. Synthetic VIP has been evaluated in clinical studies. The material sold here is a research reagent only and is not for human or veterinary use.
Quality & Documentation
Every batch of VIP is made in small runs for Rogue Compounds and tested by an independent U.S. laboratory for identity (mass spectrometry) and purity (HPLC). Each vial is labeled with its batch number and a QR code that opens the testing lab’s own report for that batch. The same batch Certificate of Analysis is posted on this page and in our COA Library, so you can check one against the other.
Research overview
For a longer look at VIP, covering where it came from, what cell and animal studies have measured, and what the evidence does not show, read our VIP research overview. It is written as background reading, and every study it cites is linked to PubMed.
Selected literature
- Said SI, et al. Polypeptide with broad biological activity: isolation from small intestine. Science. 1970;169(3951):1217-8. PMID 5450698
- Harmar AJ, et al. Pharmacology and functions of receptors for vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide: IUPHAR review 1. Br J Pharmacol. 2012;166(1):4-17. PMID 22289055
- Delgado M, et al. The significance of vasoactive intestinal peptide in immunomodulation. Pharmacol Rev. 2004;56(2):249-90. PMID 15169929
- Harmar AJ, et al. The VPAC(2) receptor is essential for circadian function in the mouse suprachiasmatic nuclei. Cell. 2002;109(4):497-508. PMID 12086606
- Said SI, et al. Moderate pulmonary arterial hypertension in male mice lacking the vasoactive intestinal peptide gene. Circulation. 2007;115(10):1260-8. PMID 17309917
Research Use Only
This product is sold strictly as a research chemical for in-vitro laboratory and analytical use by qualified professionals. It is not a drug, dietary supplement, food, or cosmetic, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Not for human or veterinary use. Rogue Compounds does not provide dosing, preparation, or usage instructions. The literature on this page is listed for scientific background only and does not describe this product or any use of it.
