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

Abstract

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.

Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing

“…This could involve confirmation and further study of the mechanisms already suspected to be impacted in the healing process. A recently published review by Seiwerth et al (2018) used the current understanding from tendon, ligament and bone and applied this to gastrointestinal tract healing, which could provide a pathway for understanding of the systemic healing capabilities for applications to other tissues. Contemporary studies looking at animal models with diseases that affect the vascular and endothelial systems have also provided new insight into how BPC 157 works (Radeljak et al 2004;Sever et al 2009;Duzel et al 2017;Sikiric et al 2018;Vukojević et al 2018).…”

Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 can improve the healing course of spinal cord injury and lead to functional recovery in rats

“…In summary, this effect may be the cause or a consequence of the beneficial effects of BPC 157 on related disturbances [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. As demonstrated, BPC 157 counteracts free radical formation and free radical-induced lesions [32,[82][83][84].…”

“…The pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, M.W. 1419) (Diagen, Ljubljana, Slovenia) dissolved in 0.9% NaCl was used in all experiments [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. The peptide BPC 157 is part of the sequence of the human gastric juice protein BPC and is freely soluble in water and 0.9% NaCl at pH 7.0.…”

“…The peptide BPC 157 is part of the sequence of the human gastric juice protein BPC and is freely soluble in water and 0.9% NaCl at pH 7.0. BPC 157 was prepared as described previously with 99% high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification, expressing 1-des-Gly peptide as an impurity [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

“…In comparison, the stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157, an emerging treatment with potential therapeutic applications, appears to be unrestricted by the limitations seen in previous therapies. The stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157, an original cytoprotective antiulcer peptide that is used in ulcerative colitis and recently in a multiple sclerosis trial and that has an LD1 that has not been achieved [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], is known to have pleiotropic beneficial effects [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and to interact with several molecular pathways [2,[27][28][29][30][31][32]. BPC 157 has beneficial effects on inflammation, hemorrhage, and edema after traumatic brain injury [33], various severe encephalopathies (which follow gastrointestinal and/or liver lesions), NSAID overdose [34][35][36][37], or insulin overdose seizures [38] and on severe muscle weakness after exposure to the specific neurotoxin cuprizone in a rat multiple sclerosis model [39] or magnesium overdose [40].…”