FIGURE 14.

Corneal ulcer and BPC 157 therapy, ophathalmoscopy and microscopy presentation (Masnec et al., 2015). In deeply anesthetized rats, a penetrant linear 2-mm incision was made and two drops of 0.4% oxybuprocaine topical anesthetic were given (to inhibit possible eyelid reflex) in the paralimbal region of the left cornea at the 5 o’clock position with a 20-gauge MVR incision knife at 45° under an operating microscope. BPC 157 was dissolved in distilled water at 2 pg/ml, 2 ng/ml, and 2 μg/ml, and two eye drops were administered to the left eye in each rat immediately after induction of the injury and then every 8 h up to 120 h; controls received an equal volume of distilled water. Characteristic microscopy presentation (HE, x4) at 48 h after injury induction in control rats was much wider gap, not maturing and abundant granulation tissue, edematous with a lot of fibrin (clot-like) at the surface (white arrow). The surface epithelium is relatively unorganized and progressing over the gap showing a basal cell-like morphology (C) (dashed white arrow). In BPC 157–treated animals, the perforation channel is narrow, partly filled with well-vascularized but maturing, non-edematous granulation tissue (black arrow). The superficial epithelium progressing over the gap looks stratified (B) (dashed black arrow).