ITPP is a
membrane-permeant allosteric regulator of
hemoglobin that mildly reduces its
oxygen-binding affinity, which shifts the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to the right and thereby increases oxygen release from the blood into tissue.
[1] Phytic acid, in contrast, is not membrane-permeant due to its
charge distribution.
[1]
Rodent studies
in vivo demonstrated increased tissue oxygenation and
dose-dependentincreases in endurance during physical exercise, in both healthy mice and transgenic mice expressing a heart failure phenotype.
[1]
The substance is believed to have a high potential for use in
athletic doping, and
liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry tests have been developed to detect ITPP in
urine tests.
[2] Its use as a performance-enhancing substance in
horse racing has also been suspected and similar tests have been developed for horses
[3]
ITPP has been studied for potential
adjuvant use in the treatment of
cancer in conjunction with
chemotherapy, due to its effects in reducing
tissue hypoxia.
[4] Human clinical trials were registered in 2014 under the
compound number OXY111A.
[5] The substance has also been examined in the context of other illnesses involving hypoxia, such as
cardiovascular disease and
dementia[2]
