HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF BPC 157, A 15-AMINO-ACID PEPTIDE, ON LIVER-LESIONS INDUCED BY EITHER RESTRAINT STRESS OR BILE-DUCT AND HEPATIC-ARTERY LIGATION OR CCL4 ADMINISTRATION - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY WITH DOPAMINE AGONISTS AND SOMATOSTATIN

The hepatoprotective effects of a newly synthesized 15 amino acid frag ment code named BPC 157 was evaluated in comparison with the reference standards (bromocriptine, amantadine and somatostatin) in various exp erimental models of liver injury in rats: 24 h-bile duct + hepatic art ery ligation 48 h-restraint stress and CCl4 administration. BPC 157 ad ministered either intragastrically or intraperitoneally, significantly prevented the development of liver necrosis or fatty changes in rats subjected to 24 h bile duct + hepatic artery ligation, 48 h-restraint stress, CCl4 treatment (1 ml/kg i.p., sacrifice 48 h thereafter). The other reference drugs had either little or no protective actions in th ese models. Noteworthy, the laboratory test results for bilirubin, SGO T, SGPT fully correlated with the macro/microscopical findings. Thus, on the basis of consistent protective effect of BPC 157, possible clin ical application in liver diseases is now warranted.