Antonio Kokot

Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 in the treatment of colitis and ischemia and reperfusion in rats: New insights

AIM To provide new insights in treatment of colitis and ischemia and reperfusion in rats using stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157. METHODS Medication [BPC 157, L-NAME, L-arginine (alone/combined), saline] was bath at the blood deprived colon segment. During reperfusion, medication was BPC 157 or saline. We recorded (USB microscope camera) vessel presentation through next 15 min of ischemic colitis (IC-rats) or reperfusion (removed ligations) (IC + RL-rats); oxidative stress as MDA (increased (IC- and IC + RL-rats)) and NO levels (decreased (IC-rats); increased (IC + RL-rats)) in colon tissue. IC + OB-rats [IC-rats had additional colon obstruction (OB)] for 3 d (IC + OB-rats), then received BPC 157 bath. RESULTS Commonly, in colon segment (25 mm, 2 ligations on left colic artery and vein, 3 arcade vessels within ligated segment), in IC-, IC + RL-, IC + OB-rats, BPC 157 (10 μg/kg) bath (1 mL/rat) increased vessel presentation, inside/outside arcade interconnections quickly reappeared, mucosal folds were preserved and the pale areas were small and markedly reduced. BPC 157 counteracted worsening effects induced by L-NAME (5 mg) and L-arginine (100 mg). MDA- and NO-levels were normal in BPC 157 treated IC-rats and IC + RL-rats. In addition, on day 10, BPC 157-treated IC + OB-rats presented almost completely spared mucosa with very small pale areas and no gross mucosal defects; the treated colon segment was of normal diameter, and only small adhesions were present. CONCLUSION BPC 157 is a fundamental treatment that quickly restores blood supply to the ischemically injured area and rapidly activates collaterals. This effect involves the NO system.

Rat inferior caval vein (ICV) ligature and particular new insights with the stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157

Rat inferior caval vein (ICV) ligation (up to the right ovarian vein (ROV)) commonly represents a recapitulation of Virchow: with ligation leading to vessel injury, stasis, thrombosis and hemodynamic changes. We revealed that BPC 157s therapy collectively attenuated or counteracted all these events and the full syndrome. METHODS We applied BPC 157 (10 μg, 10 ng/kg) as an early regimen or as a delayed therapy. Assessment includes gross assessment by microcamera; microscopy, venography, bleeding, blood pressure, ECG, thermography, MDA and NO-level in plasma and ICV, and gene expression. RESULTS Direct vein injury, thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, prolonged bleeding were all counteracted. Also, rapid presentation of collaterals and redistribution of otherwise trapped blood volume (bypassing through the left ovarian vein (LOV) and other veins), with venous hypertension, arterial hypotension and tachycardia counteraction were shown. BPC 157-rats presented raised plasma NO-values, but normal MDA-values; in ICV tissue reverted low NO-values and counteracted increased MDA-levels. Altered expression of EGR, NOS, SRF, VEGFR and KRAS in ICV, ROV and LOV revealed increased or decreased levels, while some genes continuously remained unchanged. CONCLUSION As a new insight, BPC 157 application largely attenuated or even completely eliminated all consequences of ICV ligation in rats.

BPC 157 and Standard Angiogenic Growth Factors. Gastrointestinal Tract Healing, Lessons from Tendon, Ligament, Muscle and Bone Healing

Commonly, the angiogenic growth factors signify healing. However, gastrointestinal ulceration is still poorly understood particularly with respect to a general pharmacological/pathophysiological role of various angiogenic growth factors implemented in growth factors wound healing concept. Thereby, we focused on the stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157, a peptide given always alone vs. standard peptidergic angiogenic growth factors (EGF, FGF, VEGF), and numerous carriers. Further, we reviewed how the gastrointestinal tract healing could be generally perceived (i) in terms of angiogenic growth factors, and/or (ii) through the healing of extragastrointestinal tissues healing, such as tendon, ligament, muscle and bone, and vice versa. Respected were the beneficial effects obtained with free peptides or peptides with different carriers; EGF, FGF, VEGF, and BPC 157, their presentation along with injuries, and a healing commonality, providing their implementation in both gastrointestinal ulcer healing and tendon, ligament, muscle and bone healing. Only BPC 157 was consistently effective in all of the models of acute/chronic injury of esophagus, stomach, duodenum and lower gastrointestinal tract, intraperitoneally, per-orally or locally. Unlike bFGF-, EGF-, VEGF-gastrointestinal tract studies demonstrating improved healing, most of the studies on tendon, muscle and bone injuries provide evidence of their (increased) presentation along with the various procedures used to produce beneficial effects, compared to fewer studies in vitro, while in vivo healing has a limited number of studies, commonly limited to local application, diverse healing evidence with diverse carriers and delivery systems. Contrary to this, BPC 157 - using same regimens like in gastrointestinal healing studies - improves tendon, ligament and bone healing, accurately implementing its own angiogenic effect in the healing. Thus, we claim that just BPC 157 represents in practice a pharmacological and pathophysiological role of various peptidergic growth factors.