SLU-PP-332

No. SLU-PP-332 is not a peptide. It is a synthetic small molecule with the chemical name (E)-4-Hydroxy-N'-(naphthalen-2-ylmethylene)benzohydrazide, molecular formula C₁₈H₁₄N₂O₂ and molecular weight 290.32 g/mol (CAS 303760-60-3). It is offered here as a small-molecule research compound and is grouped with other research-tool molecules in our catalog. Like every product on this site, it is supplied strictly for in vitro and preclinical laboratory research and is not approved by FDA or any other regulator for human use.

The estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are a family of three orphan nuclear receptors — ERRα (NR3B1), ERRβ (NR3B2), and ERRγ (NR3B3) — that act as master transcriptional regulators of oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial gene programs in tissues such as skeletal muscle, heart, and brown adipose tissue. A "pan-agonist" activates all three isoforms rather than just one. SLU-PP-332 was characterized as a first-in-class synthetic pan-agonist with reported EC₅₀ values of approximately 98 nM at ERRα, 230 nM at ERRβ, and 430 nM at ERRγ in cell-based reporter assays (Billon et al., 2023).

In the Billon et al. 2023 study, administration of SLU-PP-332 to sedentary mice produced a transcriptional signature in skeletal muscle that closely overlapped with the gene-expression pattern induced by an acute bout of aerobic exercise: upregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis genes via the ERR–PGC-1α axis, increased fatty acid oxidation enzymes, a shift toward oxidative type IIa muscle fibers, and improved treadmill endurance — all without the animals having actually exercised. This profile is what the literature describes by the term "pharmacological exercise mimetic." It is a preclinical characterization in rodents, not a clinical claim.

Reported research uses include: in vitro studies in murine C2C12 skeletal muscle cells (mitochondrial respiration, fatty acid oxidation, ERR-PGC-1α gene programs); in vivo studies in male C57BL/6J mice (skeletal muscle fiber typing, treadmill endurance, energy expenditure); diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome mouse models (fat mass, insulin sensitivity); and exploratory work in age-related muscle atrophy and physical-inactivity rodent models. As of 2026, all published efficacy data come from cell-culture and mouse studies; no human clinical trials supporting any therapeutic indication have been reported.

Lyophilized SLU-PP-332 should be stored at -20°C, protected from light and moisture, for long-term stability. As a small molecule it has limited aqueous solubility; laboratory work typically reconstitutes it in DMSO at appropriate stock concentrations. Stock solutions should be stored at -20°C and repeated freeze-thaw cycles avoided. Solvent and concentration choices should follow the specific in vitro or in vivo protocol being run, and should be qualified per laboratory.

The compound was introduced in Billon et al. (ACS Chemical Biology, 2023) and characterized further in Billon et al. (Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2024). Subsequent preclinical work has explored ERR activation in metabolic syndrome, mitochondrial biology, and muscle-atrophy models. There are no large, completed, peer-reviewed Phase II/III human clinical trials supporting any therapeutic indication for SLU-PP-332, and it is not approved by FDA. Material on this page is provided solely for in vitro and preclinical laboratory research and is not intended for human consumption or therapeutic use.