SALUTARY AND PROPHYLACTIC EFFECT OF PENTADECAPEPTIDE BPC-157 ON ACUTE-PANCREATITIS AND CONCOMITANT GASTRODUODENAL LESIONS IN RATS

The superior effectiveness of a new pentadecapeptide, BPC 157, on gast rointestinal and liver lesions, in conjunction with an antiinflammator y and analgetic activity was recently noted. In the present study, BPC 157 was tested as either a protective or healing agent in bile duct l igation-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. In addition, the positive influence of BPC 157 on concomitantly developed gastric and duodenal l esions was simultaneously investigated. BPC 157 (10 mu g, 10 ng/kg bod y wt, intraperitoneally or intragastrically) was given prophylacticall y 1 hr before ligation, whereas the therapy was given once daily begin ning with the 24 hr following ligation (last application 24 hr before killing). The effect was investigated at daily intervals until the end of the fifth day after ligation. In the pretreatment regimen, a stron g pancreas protection was obtained. When applied in the condition of a lready established severe acute pancreatitis, an obvious salutary effe ct was consistently noted. Assessing the appearance of the necrosis, e dema, neutrophils, and mononuclears, consistently less necrosis, edema , and neutrophils, but more mononuclears, were found in BPC-treated ra ts. Likewise, in studies of the serum amylase values, relative to cont rol data, a markedly lower rise (BPC pretreatment regimen) as well as a worsening of the already raised values (BPC therapy regimen) was not ed. Along with its beneficial effect on pancreatitis, a positive influ ence of BPC 157 on the gastric and duodenal lesion course in bile duct -ligated rats was noted in both the pre- and posttreatment regimen. Ta ken together, in further studies of acute pancreatitis therapy, BPC co uld be an interesting and useful agent with an additional positive imp act on concomitant gastroduodenal pathology.