Larazotide Acetate vs MGF (Mechano Growth Factor)
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Recovery & Repair
Larazotide AcetateAnabolic & IGF
MGF (Mechano Growth Factor)- Summary
- Larazotide acetate is an 8-amino acid peptide (Gly-Gly-Val-Leu-Val-Gln-Pro-Gly) derived from Zonula Occludens Toxin (ZOT) of Vibrio cholerae. It paradoxically acts as a ZOT antagonist to close tight junctions and reduce intestinal permeability ('leaky gut'). It is the most advanced clinical compound targeting gut permeability directly.
- MGF (Mechano Growth Factor) is a splice variant of IGF-1 that is locally produced in muscle tissue in response to mechanical damage from exercise. It activates muscle satellite cells (stem cells) to proliferate and repair damaged fibers, making it specifically targeted at exercise-induced hypertrophy.
- Half-Life
- Local gut action; minimal systemic exposure
- Native MGF: minutes. PEG-MGF: ~3 days
- Admin Route
- Oral
- SubQ, IM
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 0.5-2 mg
- 200–400 mcg
- Frequency
- 3x daily
- 1–2 times per week
- Key Benefits
- Directly reduces intestinal tight junction permeability
- Clinical efficacy in celiac disease (Phase 3 trials)
- Reduces systemic inflammation from gut permeability
- Targets root cause of leaky gut (Zonulin pathway)
- Local gut action without systemic absorption
- Potential application in IBS, IBD, autoimmune conditions
- Activates muscle satellite cells for repair and growth
- Accelerates recovery from muscle damage
- Synergistic with IGF-1 LR3 (different mechanisms)
- Promotes muscle hypertrophy specifically at exercised muscles
- Faster recovery between training sessions
- Potential for injury repair in connective tissue
- Side Effects
- Headache (mild, dose-dependent)
- Nausea (rare)
- Well-tolerated overall in clinical trials
- Muscle soreness (satellite cell activation)
- Injection site irritation
- Hypoglycemia risk (modest, less than IGF-1 LR3)
- Stacks With
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