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A new gastric juice peptide, BPC - an overview of stomach (stress) organoprotection hypothesis and BPC befitial effects

The possibility that the stomach affected by general stress pathology initiates a conteracting response has not been considered in the stress theory until recently. In this, the stomach as the most sensitive part of gastrointestinal tract, the largest neuroendocrine organ in the body, has been suggested to be a crutial point, from where a full stress response against all noxius stress pathology could be purposefully initiated, mediated and organized. The end result would be a strong protection of all organs invaded by "stress". Consistent with this assumption, this coping response is best explained in terms of "organoprotection" and endogenous organoprotectors (e.g. prostaglandins, somatostatin, dopamine) are proposed as mediators. Such an endogenous counteraction could even be afforded by their suitable application. According to this concept, a new gastric juice peptide, M.W. 40, 000, named BPC, was recently isolated. In this, a 15 amino acid fragment (BPC 157) tought to be essential for this activity was fully characterized and effectively investigated. As it had previously been demonstrated for many organoprotective agents using different models of various tissue lesions, despite the poorly understood final mechanism, practically all organ systems appear to be included into BPC beneficial activity. Relative to the reference standards, these effects have been achieved in many species using very low dosages (mostly ug and ng/kg range) after intraperitoneal, intragastrical as well as intramucosal (local) application. The effect was obvious already after one application. A long lasting activity was also demonstrated. Likewise, it was highly efficacious when applied in many experiments simultaneously with noxious agent or in the already established damage conditions, as well as chronically during a prolonged period. Therefore, it seems that BPC treatment does not share any of the so far known limitations for "conventional organoprotectors". No influence on different basal parameters and no toxicity were observed. Thus, whether these findings would provide a purposeful breakthrough into the stress thepry and whether BPC, as a likely endogenous free radical scavenger and organoprotection mediator, would be a useful prototype of a new class of drugs, organoprotective agents, remains to be seen.

stress; organoprotection; stomach organoprotective stress response; BPC - new gastric juice peptide; BPC 157 - 15 amino acid fragment; organoprotective mediator

Experimental and Clinical Gastroenterology (ISSN 0353-9245)