PENTADECAPEPTIDE BPC-157 POSITIVELY AFFECTS BOTH NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY AGENT-INDUCED GASTROINTESTINAL LESIONS AND ADJUVANT ARTHRITIS IN RATS

Besides a superior protection of the pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (an esse ntial fragment of an organoprotective gastric juice peptide BPC) again st different gastrointestinal and liver lesions, an acute anti-inflamm atory and analgetic activity was also noted. Consequently, its effect on chronic inflammation lesions, such as adjuvant arthritis, and non-s teroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIAs)-induced gastrointestinal le sions was simultaneously studied in rats. In gastrointestinal lesions (indomethacin (30 mg/kg SC), aspirin (400 mg/kg ig) and diclofenac (12 5 mg/kg ip) studies, BPC 157 (IO mu g or 10 ng/kg ip) was regularly gi ven simultaneously and/or 1 h prior to drug application (indomethacin) . In the adjuvant arthritis (tail-application of 0.2 mt of Freund's ad juvant) studies (14 days, 30 days, 1 year) BPC 157 (10 mu g or 10 ng/k g ip), it was given as a single application (at 1 h either before or f ollowing the application of Freund's adjuvant) or in a once daily regi men (0-14th day, 14-30th day, 14th day-1 year). Given with the investi gated NSAIAs, BPC 157 consistently reduced the otherwise prominent les ions in the stomach of the control rats, as well as the lesions in the small intestine in the indomethacin groups. In the adjuvant arthritis studies, the lesion's development seems to be considerably reduced af ter single pentadecapeptide medication, and even more attenuated in ra ts daily treated with BPC 157. As a therapy of already established adj uvant arthritis, its salutary effect consistently appeared already aft er 2 weeks of medication and it could be clearly seen also after 1 yea r of application. Taking together all these results, the data likely p oint to a special anti-inflammatory and mucosal integrity protective e ffect.