Anxiolytic effect of BPC-157, a gastric pentadecapeptide: shock probe/burying test and light/dark test

AIM: To study anxiolytic effect of a gastric pentadecapeptide, BPC-157. MET HODS: In shock probe/ burying test, pentadecapeptide BPC-157 (10 mug/kg, 10 ng/kg, ip), diazepam (0.075, 0.0375 mg/kg, ip), and an equivolume of salin e (5 mL/kg, ip) were given at 30 min prior test. In light/dark test, the sa me dosage of diazepam, BPC-157, and saline were given at 45 min prior proce dure. RESULTS: Shock probe/burying test: mts treated with either diazepam o r pentadecapeptide BPC-157 were much less afraid after the shock: almost no t burying and the total time spent in burying was clearly less than in cont rols. However, while in the diazepam treated rats the number of shocks rece ived increased over control values, in pentadecapeptide BPC-157 treated gro ups the number of shocks remained not modified compared with the control va lues. Light/dark test: after exposure to the intense light, diazepam treate d mice had longer latencies of crossing to the dark compartment, a greater number of crossing and a greater number of exploratory rearing, and spent l onger time in the light compartment, as compared to the control mice, while BPC-157 mice had a similar behavior to that of the control mice. In contra st with the effect in light area, in dark zone diazepam produced no change with respect to controls, while BPC-157 (10 mug/kg) mice had a greater numb er of crossing and a greater number of exploratory rearing. CONCLUSION: Bot h diazepam and BPC-157 displayed a bidirectional effect, but the activity o f pentadecapeptide BPC-157 was particular, and different from diazepam.