N-Acetyl Ser-Asp-Lys-Pro (AcSDKP) is a tetrapeptide growth regulatory hormone which inhibits the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells. The dipeptidase Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) actively metabolizes circulating AcSDKP, giving it a brief plasma half life of 4 to 5 minutes. ACE inhibition is a major therapeutic end point in the treatment of hypertension management. A further consequence of ACE inhibition is the accumulation of AcSDKP in the plasma and the urine. This accumulation may have physiological effects, which are manifested as the anemia of chronic ACE inhibitor toxicity. More commonly, plasma and urine AcSDKP levels can be used as a biomarker of ACE inhibition and an index of patient compliance with therapy. Measurement of AcSDKP in human urine or plasma can be readily accomplished by enzyme immunoassay. [Bertin Catalog No. A05881]
