AICAR vs SLU-PP-332
AICAR (AMPK activator (small molecule)) and SLU-PP-332 (Small-molecule ERR agonist (exercise mimetic)) are documented as co-studied in the PeptiDex library. This page puts the two entries side by side on class, molecular weight, half-life, origin, mechanism and studied research areas — every value taken from the entry it belongs to.
Why these two are co-studied
Cross-referenced for research context — not a usage or combination recommendation.
At a glance
| Attribute | AICAR | SLU-PP-332 |
|---|---|---|
| Compound class | AMPK activator (small molecule) | Small-molecule ERR agonist (exercise mimetic) |
| Research category | Metabolic & Mitochondrial | Metabolic & Mitochondrial |
| Length (amino acids) | Not documented | Not documented |
| Molecular weight | ~258 g/mol | ~290.3 g/mol (C18H14N2O2, CAS 303760-60-3) |
| Half-life | ~90 min (plasma, parent riboside); intracellular ZMP sustains AMPK activation for several hours | Not documented |
| Origin | AICAR (5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide, also called acadesine) is a small-molecule nucleoside analog and an intermediate in de novo purine biosynthesis. It is not a peptide. | SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small-molecule compound reported by academic researchers (Saint Louis University) as an agonist of the estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). It is not a peptide. It has been studied as a candidate exercise-mimetic research compound. |
“Not documented” means the PeptiDex entry records no value for that field. Nothing on this page is estimated, and no figure is carried over from one compound to the other.
How AICAR works
Inside cells AICAR is phosphorylated to ZMP, an AMP analog that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a central sensor of cellular energy status. AMPK activation shifts metabolism toward catabolic, energy-generating pathways, including increased glucose uptake and fatty-acid oxidation. In preclinical studies AICAR has been used as a pharmacological AMPK activator and described as an exercise-mimetic.
How SLU-PP-332 works
SLU-PP-332 is reported to act as a pan-agonist of the estrogen-related receptors (ERRalpha, ERRbeta, ERRgamma), nuclear receptors that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative metabolism, and energy expenditure. In preclinical models, ERR activation has been associated with increased mitochondrial activity, fatty-acid oxidation, and endurance-type metabolic adaptations, prompting its description as an exercise mimetic.
Mechanistic descriptions reflect published research-literature understanding and are quoted from each compound's own entry. Much peptide research is preclinical (in-vitro or animal-model); mechanism in humans may differ and is not established for many compounds.
Where each one appears in the literature
The research contexts each entry documents. Listing a research area is not a claim of efficacy or a therapeutic indication, and the two lists are not scored against each other.
AICAR
SLU-PP-332
What sets each apart
AICAR
Unlike SLU-PP-332 (ERR-level) or the GH fragments, AICAR acts directly on the AMPK energy-sensing pathway as an AMP analog.
SLU-PP-332
Unlike the peptides here, SLU-PP-332 is a nuclear-receptor-targeting small molecule; unlike AICAR (which activates AMPK), it works upstream at the ERR transcription-factor level.
Frequently asked questions
Is AICAR a peptide?
No. AICAR (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribofuranoside, also called acadesine or AICA-riboside) is a small-molecule nucleoside, not a peptide. Its molecular formula is C9H14N4O5 (MW ~258.2, CAS 2627-69-2) and it has no amino-acid sequence.
What is the mechanism of AICAR?
Inside cells AICAR is phosphorylated to ZMP, an AMP mimetic that activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK activation shifts metabolism toward energy production, increasing glucose uptake and fatty-acid oxidation. Because AMPK is a key exercise-responsive energy sensor, AICAR is studied as an exercise-mimetic metabolic compound.
What is AICAR studied for?
AICAR is a widely-used research tool for AMPK biology and is studied in models of glucose metabolism, endurance/muscle physiology, mitophagy, and metabolic disease. It has also been examined in cardioprotection (acadesine). Its exercise-mimetic effects on endurance in rodents led to attention from anti-doping authorities.
Is the catalog name 'SLU-PP-322' correct?
The correct compound name is SLU-PP-332 (the '322' spelling is a common transposition error). SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic pan-ERR (estrogen-related receptor) agonist studied as an exercise-mimetic and metabolic compound. All information here refers to SLU-PP-332.
Is SLU-PP-332 a peptide?
No. SLU-PP-332 is a small molecule, not a peptide. Its molecular formula is C18H14N2O2 (MW ~290.3, CAS 303760-60-3), and it has no amino-acid sequence. It is grouped with metabolic peptides in catalogs because of its fat-oxidation/exercise-mimetic research context.
What is the mechanism of SLU-PP-332?
SLU-PP-332 is a pan-agonist of the estrogen-related receptors, with reported EC50 values around 98 nM (ERRalpha), 230 nM (ERRbeta), and 430 nM (ERRgamma), i.e. most potent at ERRalpha. Activating ERRalpha upregulates PGC-1alpha, driving mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty-acid oxidation, which is why it is described as an exercise mimetic.
Answers are the ones published on each compound's own PeptiDex entry. They are educational summaries of research-literature context and are not medical advice.