Therapy for unhealed gastrocutaneous fistulas in rats as a model for analogous healing of persistent skin wounds and persistent gastric ulcers: stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157, atropine, ranitidine, and omeprazole.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This study focused on unhealed gastrocutaneous fistulas to resolve whether standard drugs that promote healing of gastric ulcers may simultaneously have the same effect on cutaneous wounds, and corticosteroid aggravation, and to demonstrate why peptides such as BPC 157 exhibit a greater healing effect. Therefore, with the fistulas therapy, we challenge the wound/growth factors theory of the analogous nonhealing of wounds and persistent gastric ulcers.

METHODS:

The healing rate of gastrocutaneous fistula in rat (2-mm-diameter stomach defect, 3-mm-diameter skin defect) validates macro/microscopically and biomechanically a direct skin wound/stomach ulcer relation, and identifies a potential therapy consisting of: (i) stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 [in drinking water (10 microg/kg) (12 ml/rat/day) or intraperitoneally (10 microg/kg, 10 ng/kg, 10 pg/kg)], (ii) atropine (10 mg/kg), ranitidine (50 mg/kg), and omeprazole (50 mg/kg), (iii) 6-alpha-methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg) [intraperitoneally, once daily, first application at 30 min following surgery; last 24 h before sacrifice (at postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21)].

RESULTS:

Greater anti-ulcer potential and efficiency in wound healing compared with standard agents favor BPC 157, efficient in inflammatory bowel disease (PL-14736, Pliva), given in drinking water or intraperitoneally. Even after 6-alpha-methylprednisolone aggravation, BPC 157 promptly improves both skin and stomach mucosa healing, and closure of fistulas, with no leakage after up to 20 ml water intragastrically. Standard anti-ulcer agents, after a delay, improve firstly skin healing and then stomach mucosal healing, but not fistula leaking and bursting strength (except for atropine).

CONCLUSION:

We conclude that BPC 157 may resolve analogous nonhealing of wounds and persistent gastric ulcers better than standard agents.

• Authors: Sandra Skorjanec, Zdravko Dolovski, Ivan Kocman, Luka Brcic, Alenka Blagaic Boban, Lovorka Batelja, Marjana Coric, Marko Sever, Robert Klicek, Lidija Berkopic, Bozo Radic, Domagoj Drmic, Danijela Kolenc, Spomenko Ilic, Vedran Cesarec, Ante Tonkic, Ivan Zoricic, Stjepan Mise, Mario Staresinic, Mihovil Ivica, Martina Lovric Bencic, Tomislav Anic, Sven Seiwerth, Predrag Sikiric
• Journal: Digestive diseases and sciences (Dig Dis Sci) Vol. 54 Issue 1 Pg. 46-56 (Jan 2009) ISSN: 1573-2568 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18649140 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Anti-Ulcer Agents
• Peptide Fragments
• Proteins
• Atropine
• Ranitidine
• BPC 157
• Omeprazole

Topics

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Anti-Ulcer Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Atropine (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cutaneous Fistula (drug therapy, pathology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Gastric Fistula (drug therapy, pathology)
• Gastric Mucosa (drug effects)
• Male
• Omeprazole (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Peptide Fragments (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Proteins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Ranitidine (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Stomach Ulcer (drug therapy, pathology)
• Wound Healing (drug effects)