# Melanotan 2 References: The Published Literature, Cited

> Melanotan 2 references and citations: the peer-reviewed studies, clinical pilots, and case reports behind every claim on this site, with PubMed links and DOIs where available.

Every quantitative claim on this site maps to a numbered source below. Peer-reviewed studies, clinical pilots, and published case reports, with PubMed links.

## How to read this list

The sources below are numbered to match the inline markers across the site. Where a study is a controlled human trial, a rodent mechanism study, or a single-patient case report, the title makes the tier clear — and the distinction matters: a case report documents that something happened, not how often. PubMed identifiers (PMID) and DOIs are given where available so any claim can be traced to its source.

## The complete reference list

The full numbered citation list is rendered from the references index below, each entry linking to PubMed.

## References

[1] Dorr RT, Lines R, Levine N, Brooks C, Xiang L, Hruby VJ, Hadley ME. Evaluation of melanotan-II, a superpotent cyclic melanotropic peptide in a pilot phase-I clinical study. Life Sci. 1996;58(20):1777-1784. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8637402/
[2] Wessells H, Fuciarelli K, Hansen J, Hadley ME, Hruby VJ, Dorr R, Levine N. Synthetic melanotropic peptide initiates erections in men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction: double-blind, placebo controlled crossover study. J Urol. 1998;160(2):389-393. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9679884/
[3] Hadley ME, Dorr RT. Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides. 2006;27(4):921-930. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412534/
[4] Peters B, Hadimeri H, Wahlberg R, Afghahi H. Melanotan II: a possible cause of renal infarction: review of the literature and case report. CEN Case Rep. 2020;9(2):159-161. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31953620/
[5] Eliason NL, Martin L, Low MJ, Sharpe AL. Melanocortin receptor agonist melanotan-II microinjected in the nucleus accumbens decreases appetitive and consumptive responding for food. Neuropeptides. 2022;96:102289. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36155088/
[6] Bonchev A. Changes in Oral Mucosa Associated with Melanotan II Injections: A Case Report. Life (Basel). 2026;16(2):265. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41752902/
[7] Walters AE, Myrdal PB, Pinsuwan S, Manka AM, Yalkowsky SH. Determination of melanotan II in rabbit urine using solid-phase extraction sample preparation followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 1997;690(1-2):99-103. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9106033/
[8] Preformulation studies with melanotan-II: a potential skin cancer chemopreventive peptide. 1994. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7983590/
[9] Increased eumelanin expression and tanning is induced by a superpotent melanotropin [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-MSH in humans. J Invest Dermatol. 2000. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11045725/
[10] Chen AS, Metzger JM, Trumbauer ME, et al. Role of the melanocortin-4 receptor in metabolic rate and food intake in mice. Transgenic Res. 2000;9(2):145-154. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10951699/
[11] Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH): biology, clinical relevance and implication in melanoma. 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37608347/
[12] Oosterom J, Nijenhuis WA, Schaaper WM, et al. Conformation of the core sequence in melanocortin peptides directs selectivity for the melanocortin MC3 and MC4 receptors. J Biol Chem. 1999;274(24):16853-16860. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10358030/
[13] Lindblom J, Kask A, Hagg E, Harmark L, Bergstrom L, Wikberg J. Chronic infusion of a melanocortin receptor agonist modulates dopamine receptor binding in the rat brain. Pharmacol Res. 2002;45(2):119-124. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11846623/
[14] alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced eruptive nevi. 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19380666/
[15] Ryakhovsky VV, Khachiyan GA, Kosovova NF, Isamiddinova EF, Ivanov AS. The first preparative solution phase synthesis of melanotan II. Beilstein J Org Chem. 2008;4:39. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19043625/
[16] Eruptive dysplastic nevi following melanotan use. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22425244/
[17] Melanotan II injection resulting in systemic toxicity and rhabdomyolysis. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23121206/
[18] Melanotan II overdose associated with priapism. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23537392/
[19] Melanotan Tanning Injection: A Rare Cause of Priapism. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33460908/
[20] Eruptive naevi and darkening of pre-existing naevi 24 h after a single mono-dose injection of melanotan II. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24334249/
[21] Dermoscopic changes in melanocytic nevi during use of melanotan II. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23052015/
[22] Melanotan II User Experience: A Qualitative Study of Online Discussion Forums. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34464955/
[23] Melanotan and the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23648958/
[24] Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30796078/
[25] Melanotan-associated melanoma. 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21564053/
[26] Melanotan-associated melanoma in situ. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22724573/
[27] Update on tanning: More risks, fewer benefits. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24388421/
[28] Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered alpha-MSH analogs in mice. 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22982611/
[29] Systemic but not central nervous system nitric oxide synthase inhibition exacerbates the hypertensive effects of chronic melanocortin-3/4 receptor activation. 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21263126/
[30] Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24771717/
[31] LC-HRMS characterization of the skin pigmentation and sexual enhancers melanotan II and bremelanotide sold on the black market of performance and image enhancing drugs. 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33245851/
[32] Operation resistance: A snapshot of falsified antibiotics and biopharmaceutical injectables in Europe. 2016. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26456392/
[33] Risks of unregulated use of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogues: a review. 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266027/
[34] The unregulated use of melanotan-II is of public health interest to Australian dermatologists. 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28905366/
[35] Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26132941/
[36] PT-141: a melanocortin agonist for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. 2003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12851303/
[37] Melanotropic peptides: more than just 'Barbie drugs' and 'sun-tan jabs'? 2010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20545686/

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A mechanism-first reading of the Melanotan 2 literature — reporting what the studies measured, not prescribing what anyone should do.