Focus on ulcerative colitis: stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157.
Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, M.W. 1419) may be the new drug stable in human gastric juice, effective both in the upper and lower GI tract, and free of side effects. BPC 157, in addition to an antiulcer effect efficient in therapy of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (PL 14736) so far only tested in clinical phase II, has a very safe profile, and exhibited a particular wound healing effect. It also has shown to interact with the NO-system, providing endothelium protection and angiogenic effect, even in severely impaired conditions (i.e., it stimulated expression of early growth response 1 gene responsible for cytokine and growth factor generation and early extracellular matrix (collagen) formation (but also its repressor nerve growth factor 1-A binding protein-2)), important to counteract severe complications of advanced and poorly controlled IBD. Hopefully, the lessons from animal studies, particularly advanced intestinal anastomosis healing, reversed short bowel syndrome and fistula healing indicate BPC 157's high significance in further IBD therapy. Also, this supportive evidence (i.e., no toxic effect, limit test negative, LD1 not achieved, no side effect in trials) may counteract the problems commonly exercised in the use of peptidergic agents, particularly those used on a long-term basis.
Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty University of Zagreb, Salata 11, POB 916, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. sikiric@mef.hr
P
P
Sikiric
S
S
Seiwerth
R
R
Rucman
B
B
Turkovic
D S
DS
Rokotov
L
L
Brcic
M
M
Sever
R
R
Klicek
B
B
Radic
D
D
Drmic
S
S
Ilic
D
D
Kolenc
V
V
Stambolija
Z
Z
Zoricic
H
H
Vrcic
B
B
Sebecic
D000818:Animals; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011506:Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011506:Proteins; C083833:BPC 157