Plain Language Summary
Tests oral BPC 157 after surgically detaching the quadriceps muscle from its bone attachment in rats. BPC 157 (10 μg or 10 ng/kg/day orally) significantly accelerated muscle-to-bone reattachment at multiple time points up to 90 days. Demonstrates effective musculoskeletal healing via the oral route—important for practical clinical translation.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This is a novel rat study using native peptide therapy, focused on reversing quadriceps muscle-to-bone detachment to reattachment and stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 per-oral therapy for shared muscle healing and function restoration.
METHODS: Pharmacotherapy recovering various muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone lesions, and severed junctions (i.e., myotendinous junction), per-oral in particular (BPC 157/kg/day 10 µg, 10 ng), provides muscle-to-bone reattachment after quadriceps muscle detachment, both complete (rectus muscle) and partial (vastus muscles).
RESULTS: Immediately post-injury, and at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, and 90 days post-injury, quadriceps muscle-to-bone detachment showed definitive healing failure (impaired walking and permanent knee flexure). Contrarily, macro/microscopic, ultrasonic, magnetic resonance, biomechanical, and functional assessments revealed that BPC 157 therapy recovering effects for all time points were consistent. All parameters of the walking pattern fully improved, and soon after detachment and therapy application, muscle approached the bone, leaving a minimal gap (on ultrasonic assessment), and leg contracture was annihilated. The healing process occurs immediately after detachment from both sides: the muscle and the bone. The reattachment fibers from the ends of the muscle could be traced into the new bone formed at the surface (note, at day 3 post-detachment, increased mesenchymal cells occurred with periosteum reactivation). Consequently, at 3 months, the form was stable, and the balance between the muscle and bone was the following: well-organized bone, newly formed as more cortical bone providing a narrower bone marrow space, and the muscle and mature fibers were oriented parallel to the bone axis and were in close contact with bone.
CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, to achieve quadriceps muscle-to-bone reattachment, the BPC 157 therapy reversing course acts from the beginning, resolving an otherwise insurmountable deleterious course.
Authors
Matek, Danijel; Matek, Irena; Staresinic, Eva; Japjec, Mladen; Bojanic, Ivan; Boban Blagaic, Alenka; Beketic Oreskovic, Lidija; Oreskovic, Ivana; Ziger, Tihomil; Novinscak, Tomislav; Krezic, Ivan; Strbe, Sanja; Drinkovic, Martin; Brkic, Filip; Popic, Jelena; Skrtic, Anita; Seiwerth, Sven; Staresinic, Mario; Sikiric, Predrag; Brizic, Ivica