What's on the label is the measured result — net peptide mass, not gross powder weight, plus RP-HPLC purity, on a lot-numbered COA for every batch.
Net peptide mass and RP-HPLC purity — a lot-numbered COA for every batch.
Net peptide mass + HPLC purity, per lot.
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AMPK pathway activator · exercise mimetic research compound
PeptideXpo buyer fit
This PeptideXpo page is intentionally positioned for distributors, OEM buyers, and procurement teams comparing AICAR (Acadesine) inside a wider peptide catalog. It is not trying to be the deepest single-molecule monograph; the differentiated intent is assortment planning, export-ready documentation, fill-size comparison, and whether this SKU belongs in a broader buyer program.
Overview
AICAR is supplied as Acadesine (AICA-riboside, the 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside; CAS 2627-69-2, C9H14N4O5), a purine analog that is phosphorylated intracellularly to ZMP — the AMP-mimetic ribonucleotide that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the master energy-sensor kinase that responds to cellular ATP depletion. AICAR has been studied since the 1990s in energy-metabolism, muscle-physiology, and exercise-mimetic research; it was one of the first compounds to be discussed as a potential pharmacological mimic of endurance training because chronic AMPK activation produces gene-expression changes similar to those induced by endurance exercise. The molecule reached Phase 3 clinical development for several cardioprotection indications but did not achieve regulatory approval; it remains widely used as a research tool for AMPK pathway studies. PeptideXpo supplies AICAR as the free base at ≥99.0% HPLC purity. As a small molecule, the analytical workflow uses RP-HPLC plus UV-Vis identity. Two large fill sizes (50 mg and 100 mg) match the dosing scales typical for cell-culture and in vivo AMPK-activation studies, which often require higher absolute amounts than peptide research.
Who buys this, and why
Most buyers in this category are 503A and 503B compounding pharmacies fulfilling metabolic and weight-management protocols, plus research labs investigating GLP-1 / GIP / GCG receptor pharmacology. The procurement decision usually hinges on three things: documented purity at scale, a regulatory team that can respond on destination-market questions in writing, and the ability to supply consistent counter-ion form (acetate by default) across recurring orders.
Primary buyer fit: academic and contract research laboratories.
Specifications
Documentation available on request
Regulatory note
Sold as a bulk active for research and for compounding-pharmacy formulation in jurisdictions where local regulations permit. Not a finished dosage form and not labeled for direct human administration as shipped. The GLP-1 class is on active regulatory watchlists in several major markets, buyers are responsible for verifying current scheduling and compounding eligibility for the destination at the time of dispense.
Frequently asked questions
Acadesine (AICA-riboside, the nucleoside form supplied) is converted intracellularly to ZMP, the monophosphate ribonucleotide that is a metabolic mimic of AMP. ZMP binds to AMPK's regulatory γ-subunit at the same site that AMP normally engages, allosterically activating the kinase as if cellular AMP/ATP ratio were elevated, without requiring actual ATP depletion. AMPK activation triggers the canonical energy-stress response: enhanced fatty-acid oxidation, glucose uptake, mitochondrial biogenesis, and autophagy, while suppressing energy-consuming anabolic processes. AICAR is therefore the standard pharmacological tool for studying AMPK biology in isolation from the actual ATP depletion that would activate AMPK physiologically.
AICAR (under the development name Acadesine) advanced through Phase 3 clinical trials for cardioprotection in coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The trials produced mixed efficacy signals and the program was discontinued. The molecule has since been widely used as a research tool for AMPK pathway studies but is not approved as a finished drug in any jurisdiction. AICAR also has a complicated history with anti-doping enforcement, it has been on WADA's prohibited list since 2009 as a 'metabolic modulator', which is the basis for the molecule's regulated status in athletic contexts.
Cellular AMPK-activation studies typically use AICAR at 0.1-2 mM working concentrations, high relative to most pharmacological compounds because AICAR must be transported into cells and converted to ZMP by adenosine kinase before it can engage AMPK. The high in vitro concentration is the reason AICAR is supplied in 50-100 mg fill sizes rather than the μg-mg scales typical of peptide research. For in vivo rodent studies, published protocols use AICAR at 250-500 mg/kg IP, daily for 1-4 weeks; the IP route bypasses the first-pass conversion limitations of oral dosing. Buyers should reference the specific protocol being replicated for dose selection rather than treating AICAR dose-response as universal across systems.
AICAR is the original AMP-mimetic AMPK activator and remains the most-cited research tool, but the AMPK-activator toolkit has expanded considerably since its discovery. Metformin activates AMPK indirectly through complex I inhibition and mitochondrial AMP/ATP-ratio changes, different mechanism, broader off-target profile. A-769662 is an allosteric AMPK activator that binds at a distinct site from the AMP/ZMP-binding pocket; useful for distinguishing AMP-mimetic from non-AMP-mimetic AMPK biology. MK-8722 is a newer pan-isoform AMPK activator with higher potency than A-769662. The choice of AMPK activator depends on the experimental question: AICAR for canonical AMP-mimetic biology, A-769662 or MK-8722 for AMP-independent AMPK pharmacology, metformin for translationally relevant mechanism studies.
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