Therapy for unhealed gastrocutaneous fistulas in rats as a model for analogous healing of persistent skin wounds and persistent gastric ulcers: stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157, atropine, ranitidine, and omeprazole.
Skorjanec. Sandra S; Dolovski. Zdravko Z; Kocman. Ivan I; Brcic. Luka L; Blagaic Boban. Alenka A; Batelja. Lovorka L; Coric. Marjana M; Sever. Marko M; Klicek. Robert R; Berkopic. Lidija L; Radic. Bozo B; Drmic. Domagoj D; Kolenc. Danijela D; Ilic. Spomenko S; Cesarec. Vedran V; Tonkic. Ante A; Zoricic. Ivan I; Mise. Stjepan S; Staresinic. Mario M; Ivica. Mihovil M; Lovric Bencic. Martina M; Anic. Tomislav T; Seiwerth. Sven S; Sikiric. Predrag P
Key Findings
- BPC‑157 (10 µg/kg) markedly accelerated closure of gastro‑cutaneous fistulas, a model linking skin wounds and stomach ulcers.
- The peptide worked despite the healing‑impairing effects of a high dose of methylprednisolone, whereas standard drugs showed delayed or incomplete repair.
- Standard anti‑ulcer agents (atropine, ranitidine, omeprazole) improved skin healing first but did not prevent fistula leakage or restore full tissue strength.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers interested in gut and skin repair, BPC‑157 appears to be a promising oral or injectable supplement that may boost healing beyond typical ulcer meds. However, the data are from rats, so human dosing and safety still need confirmation before routine use.
Summary
In a rat study, the peptide BPC‑157 given in drinking water or by injection helped both skin wounds and stomach ulcers heal faster and stronger than common ulcer medicines, even when a steroid drug was used to slow healing.
Abstract
This study focused on unhealed gastrocutaneous fistulas to resolve whether standard drugs that promote healing of gastric ulcers may simultaneously have the same effect on cutaneous wounds, and corticosteroid aggravation, and to demonstrate why peptides such as BPC 157 exhibit a greater healing effect. Therefore, with the fistulas therapy, we challenge the wound/growth factors theory of the analogous nonhealing of wounds and persistent gastric ulcers. The healing rate of gastrocutaneous fistula in rat (2-mm-diameter stomach defect, 3-mm-diameter skin defect) validates macro/microscopically and biomechanically a direct skin wound/stomach ulcer relation, and identifies a potential therapy consisting of: (i) stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 [in drinking water (10 microg/kg) (12 ml/rat/day) or intraperitoneally (10 microg/kg, 10 ng/kg, 10 pg/kg)], (ii) atropine (10 mg/kg), ranitidine (50 mg/kg), and omeprazole (50 mg/kg), (iii) 6-alpha-methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg) [intraperitoneally, once daily, first application at 30 min following surgery; last 24 h before sacrifice (at postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21)]. Greater anti-ulcer potential and efficiency in wound healing compared with standard agents favor BPC 157, efficient in inflammatory bowel disease (PL-14736, Pliva), given in drinking water or intraperitoneally. Even after 6-alpha-methylprednisolone aggravation, BPC 157 promptly improves both skin and stomach mucosa healing, and closure of fistulas, with no leakage after up to 20 ml water intragastrically. Standard anti-ulcer agents, after a delay, improve firstly skin healing and then stomach mucosal healing, but not fistula leaking and bursting strength (except for atropine). We conclude that BPC 157 may resolve analogous nonhealing of wounds and persistent gastric ulcers better than standard agents.
Study Information
pubmed
2008
2008-07-23T00:00:00.000Z
10.1007/s10620-008-0332-9
30
69