Fig. 1.
BPC 157 has beneficial effects and thus leads to stomach cytoprotection → organoprotection of the whole gastrointestinal tract, including both prophylactic and therapeutic effects for pre-existing lesions in individuals with the most complex disturbances, such as internal and external fistulas, or anastomosis complicated with severe colitis (indicated as +1).1-13 In addition, there is a particular effect on endothelial integrity (indicated as +2).1-13 Together, these may result in the particular activation of blood vessels during injury, vessel occlusion, or organ perforation, the recruitment of the vessel to organize an adequate shunting and bypass occlusion (indicated as=3).101,113,117,118 Furthermore, the effect of BPC 157 is due to its interaction with and modulation of the NO system, and its interaction with prostaglandin, dopamine, and serotonin systems has also been documented.1-13 BPC 157 also acts as a free radical scavenger, counteracts free radical-induced lesions, and normalizes NO and MDA levels in tissues and during ischemia and reperfusion.101,113,114,116-118 Subsequent studies from other groups2,96-101 have confirmed our original findings.65-78 Pleiotropic effects involving distinctive receptors, including VEGFR2 and growth hormone receptors, distinctive pathways, including VEGFR2-AKT-eNOS, ERK ½, FAK-paxillin, FoxO3a, p-AKT, p-mTOR and p-GSK-3β, and distinctive loops, including stimulation of the egr-1 gene and its corepressor gene naB2, and counteraction of increases in pro-inflammatory and procachectic cytokines,2,96-101 likely minimize the inherent lack of full understanding of the mechanisms that may be involved. However, more important is the practical evidence from a considerable number of the studies, particularly in gastrointestinal research, that intragastric administration or per os administration in drinking water, is equally effective as injections of the supplement administered to rodents, which has been performed in the majority of studies on BPC 157.12,41,43,48,51,54,55,58,59,61-63,82-85,89,91-93,98,114,116,117,143-147,149-155 In reality, in particular along with its safety profile, LD-1 is not achieved, and there are no reported adverse effects in clinical trials;1-13 this evidence suggests the ease of practical clinical application. PGs, prostaglandins; NO, nitric oxide; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGFR2, VEGF receptor 2; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; FAK, focal adhesion kinase; FoxO3a, transcription factor; p-AKT, phospho-AKT; p-mTOR, phospho mammalian target of rapamycin; p-GSK-3β, phospho glycogen synthase kinase 3β; MDA, malondialdehyde; GI, gastrointestinal.