AOD9604 For Lab Research

Product Description

AOD9604 Peptide | Buy AOD9604 UK | GH Fragment 176-191 | Research Use Only

AOD9604 — also known as GH Fragment 176-191 — is a synthetic 16-amino acid peptide derived from the C-terminal region of human growth hormone (hGH), originally developed by Metabolic Pharmaceuticals in Australia as a selective lipolytic research compound. It is studied in laboratory research for its role in fat oxidation, lipolysis, adipose tissue metabolism, lipogenesis inhibition, and cartilage repair pathway biology — without the IGF-1 stimulation, insulin resistance, or receptor-mediated proliferative effects associated with full-length hGH. Buy AOD9604 in the UK from Peptides Lab UK with >99% HPLC-verified purity, batch-specific COA, and fast UK dispatch for laboratory and in vitro research use only.

Distributed by Peptides Lab UK in a high-purity lyophilised format, for laboratory research use only. This compound is handled in controlled settings for in vitro and pre-clinical studies, with no applications in human or veterinary medicine. Each batch undergoes rigorous quality analysis to ensure >99% purity (HPLC verified).

What Is AOD9604?

AOD9604 is a synthetic hexadecapeptide representing amino acids 176–191 of the human growth hormone sequence, with a disulfide bridge between Cys182 and Cys189 that mirrors the structure of the native hGH C-terminal region. It was specifically designed to isolate and study the lipolytic domain of growth hormone, separating its fat metabolism activity from the systemic anabolic and endocrine effects of the complete 191-amino acid hGH molecule.

In vitro assays using BaF-BO3 cells transfected with the hGH receptor confirmed that AOD9604 does not compete for the hGH receptor and does not induce cell proliferation — unlike intact hGH — establishing that it operates via a novel mechanism distinct from traditional hGH-stimulated pathways.

AOD9604 did not stimulate the production of IGF-1 in any of the systems studied, and elicits its fat-reducing effects without inducing insulin resistance — a key pharmacological distinction from intact hGH that makes it a uniquely clean research tool for studying lipolytic mechanisms in isolation.

As a research compound, AOD9604 UK carries a well-characterised pre-clinical and early-phase clinical research profile developed primarily through the work of Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, with published studies spanning lipid metabolism, adipose biology, β3-adrenergic receptor regulation, cartilage biology, and safety pharmacology.

How Does AOD9604 Work?

AOD9604’s mechanism of action remains an active area of research interest. It clearly shares some — but not all — of the biological effects of intact hGH, with its activity appearing to converge on β3-adrenergic receptor-mediated pathways in adipose tissue rather than through the classical GH receptor.

β3-Adrenergic Receptor Modulation

Both hGH and AOD9604 increase β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) expression in adipose tissue — importantly, restoring repressed β3-AR RNA levels in obese mice to levels comparable with those in lean mice. The importance of β3-AR was verified when long-term treatment with AOD9604 in β3-AR knockout mice failed to produce the changes in body weight and increase in lipolysis observed in wild-type control mice.

Acute Fat Oxidation and Energy Expenditure

Acute single administration of AOD9604 in wild-type mice produced a significant increase in fat oxidation and energy expenditure, with an associated reduction in glucose oxidation. In β3-AR knockout mice, however, no effect was observed with AOD9604 — confirming the dependency of its chronic lipolytic action on β3-AR expression, while also suggesting an additional acute mechanism that may operate through a separate pathway.

Lipolysis Enhancement and Lipogenesis Inhibition

In obese Zucker rats, daily oral administration of AOD9604 significantly increased lipolytic activity in adipose tissue compared to controls, establishing direct adipocyte-level lipolysis stimulation as a key mechanism of action in pre-clinical models.

No hGH Receptor Binding or IGF-1 Stimulation

AOD9604 did not induce hyperglycaemia or reduce insulin secretion — in sharp contrast to chronic intact hGH treatment — and confirmed that the concept of hGH behaving as a pro-hormone is valid, with fragments capable of acting via mechanisms novel to traditional GH receptor-stimulated pathways.

What Does AOD9604 Do in Research?

In laboratory and pre-clinical settings, AOD9604 has been studied across several distinct biological systems. Research has examined its role in:

• β3-adrenergic receptor upregulation and adipose tissue sensitisation studies
• Lipolysis stimulation and plasma glycerol elevation in adipocyte models
• Lipogenesis inhibition and fat accumulation prevention in diet-induced obesity models
• Fat oxidation and energy expenditure pathway research
• Metabolic flexibility and substrate oxidation studies in obese murine models
• Cartilage regeneration and intra-articular joint biology in osteoarthritis models
• Safety pharmacology — genotoxicity, bioavailability, and plasma kinetics profiling
• Comparative hGH fragment activity studies alongside AOD9401 and native hGH

AOD9604 and Adipose Tissue Research

In obese Zucker rats treated with oral AOD9604 at 500 µg/kg body weight for 19 days, over 50% reduction in body weight gain was observed compared to controls, accompanied by significantly increased lipolytic activity in adipose tissue. In contrast to chronic intact hGH treatment, AOD9604 showed no adverse effect on insulin sensitivity as assessed by euglycaemic clamp techniques.

AOD9604 and Energy Balance Research

In obese ob/ob and lean C57BL/6J mice treated for 14 days via mini-osmotic pumps, AOD9604 significantly reduced body weight gain in obese mice, associated with increased in vivo fat oxidation and increased plasma glycerol levels as an index of enhanced lipolysis — without the hyperglycaemia or reduced insulin secretion associated with intact hGH treatment.

AOD9604 and Cartilage Biology Research

In a collagenase-induced knee osteoarthritis rabbit model, intra-articular injection of AOD9604 significantly enhanced cartilage regeneration compared to saline controls, with combined AOD9604 and hyaluronic acid injections proving more effective than either treatment alone — producing superior morphological and histopathological scores and a significantly shorter lameness period in the AOD9604 + HA group.

AOD9604 and Safety Pharmacology Research

A conventional Ames test showed no significant mutation rate increase for AOD9604 at up to 2,000 µg/plate, with no clastogenic effects observed in CHO-cell chromosome aberration assays. AOD9604 is bioavailable orally, with MS peptide analysis confirming appearance in pig plasma following oral dosing, and degradation occurring primarily via sequential N-terminal amino acid removal in a cascade fashion.

What Do Studies Say About AOD9604?

AOD9604 has been characterised across pre-clinical, safety pharmacology, and early-phase clinical research since the late 1990s, with peer-reviewed publications spanning lipid metabolism, adipose biology, joint repair, and bioavailability.

AOD9604 vs Intact hGH in Obesity Models

A direct head-to-head comparison of AOD9604 and intact hGH in obese and lean mice confirmed that both compounds significantly reduced body weight gain in obese animals through increased fat oxidation and lipolysis stimulation — but that AOD9604 achieved this without the hGH receptor binding, IGF-1 stimulation, hyperglycaemia, or reduced insulin secretion associated with full-length hGH treatment.

AOD9604 and β3-AR Knockout Research

Research using β3-adrenergic receptor knockout mice established that AOD9604’s chronic in vivo lipolytic actions are mediated in part by modulating the expression of β3-AR in adipose tissue — a mechanism shared with intact hGH — with the restoration of depressed β3-AR RNA levels in obese animals to lean-comparable levels identified as a key pathway of sustained lipolytic sensitisation.

AOD9604 and Oral Bioavailability Research

Pharmacokinetic profiling in pigs confirmed that AOD9604 is orally bioavailable, with intact peptide and its principal N-terminal truncation degradants (−2aa and −3aa fragments) detected in plasma following oral dosing. Both principal degradants retain some in vitro anti-lipogenic activity, suggesting partial preservation of biological function through the oral digestion process.

AOD9604 in Intra-Articular Cartilage Research

In a 32-rabbit controlled study, weekly intra-articular injections of AOD9604 at 0.25 mg were evaluated over 4–7 weeks in a collagenase-induced osteoarthritis model. AOD9604 alone significantly improved both gross morphological and histopathological cartilage scores versus saline controls, and the combination of AOD9604 with hyaluronic acid produced superior outcomes to either agent administered alone — including significantly shorter lameness periods.

Key cited studies:

• Heffernan M et al. (2001) — Effects of hGH and Its Lipolytic Fragment (AOD9604) on Lipid Metabolism in Obese Mice and β3-AR Knockout Mice — Endocrinology 142(12):5182–5189. PubMed ID: 11713213
• Ng FM et al. (2000) — Metabolic Studies of a Synthetic Lipolytic Domain (AOD9604) of Human Growth Hormone — Horm Res 53(6):274–278. PubMed ID: 11146367
• Heffernan MA et al. (2001) — Increase of Fat Oxidation and Weight Loss in Obese Mice by Chronic Treatment with hGH or a Modified C-Terminal Fragment — Int J Obes 25(10):1442–9. PubMed ID: 11673763
• Moré MI et al. (2014) — Safety and Metabolism of AOD9604, a Novel Nutraceutical Ingredient for Improved Metabolic Health — J Endocrinol Metab 4(1-2):1–14. DOI: 10.14740/jem211w
• Kwon DR & Park GY (2015) — Effect of Intra-articular Injection of AOD9604 with or without Hyaluronic Acid in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model — Ann Clin Lab Sci 45(4):426–432. PubMed ID: 26275694
• Stier H et al. (2013) — Safety and Tolerability of the Hexadecapeptide AOD9604 in Humans — J Endocrinol Metab 3(1–2):7–15

AOD9604 vs Related GH-Axis Research Tools

AOD9604’s unique combination of GH receptor independence, direct lipolytic activity, absence of IGF-1 stimulation, and confirmed oral bioavailability makes it an irreplaceable research tool for studying adipose tissue metabolism and lipolysis without the systemic endocrine confounds associated with intact hGH or indirect GH secretagogues.

Quality & Purity Assurance

Every batch of AOD9604 from Peptides Lab UK is:

• >99% pure — HPLC and mass spectrometry verified
• Supplied with a full Certificate of Analysis (COA) on request
• Lyophilised powder for maximum stability and long shelf life
• Manufactured under strict, controlled laboratory conditions
• Consistent batch-to-batch quality for reproducible research results

Buy AOD9604 UK — Product Specifications

AOD9604 Research Applications

AOD9604 peptide UK is supplied strictly for the following in vitro and pre-clinical research uses:

• β3-adrenergic receptor expression and adipose tissue sensitisation studies
• Lipolysis stimulation and plasma glycerol elevation in adipocyte cell models
• Lipogenesis inhibition and fat accumulation prevention in diet-induced obesity models
• Fat oxidation, energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation pathway research
• Metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity studies in obese murine models
• Intra-articular cartilage regeneration and osteoarthritis model research
• GH fragment bioavailability and plasma pharmacokinetics profiling
• Safety pharmacology — genotoxicity and mutagenicity assay use
• Comparative hGH fragment activity and structure–activity relationship (SAR) research
• Non-GH-receptor-mediated lipolytic pathway mechanistic investigation

Why Buy AOD9604 from Peptides Lab UK?

Peptides Lab UK is a trusted UK peptides supplier, providing research-grade compounds verified by independent HPLC testing. When you buy AOD9604 in the UK from us, you receive:

• >99% purity, HPLC and MS verified, third-party tested
• Full COA documentation per batch
• Fast same-day UK dispatch with tracked delivery
• Competitive pricing with bulk research discounts available
• Trusted by researchers across the UK and Europe

Research Disclaimer All products supplied by Peptides Lab UK are intended strictly for in vitro laboratory research and scientific study use only. They are not intended for human consumption, veterinary use, or any medical or therapeutic application. AOD9604 is not a licensed medicine or drug and has not been approved by the MHRA or FDA for any therapeutic use. All research citations on this page relate to pre-clinical studies and peer-reviewed pharmacological research and do not constitute a claim of safety or therapeutic efficacy. Peptides Lab UK accepts no liability for any misuse of research compounds. By purchasing, you confirm that you are a qualified researcher and that the product will be used solely within a controlled laboratory environment in compliance with all applicable UK laws, regulations, and institutional guidelines.