The anti-nociceptive effect of BPC-157 on the incisional pain model in rats

Young-Hoon Jung; Haekyu Kim; Hyaejin Kim; Eunsoo Kim; Jiseok Baik; Hyunjong Kang

doi:10.17245/jdapm.2022.22.2.97

The anti-nociceptive effect of BPC-157 on the incisional pain model in rats

J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2022 Apr;22(2):97-105. doi: 10.17245/jdapm.2022.22.2.97. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Authors

Young-Hoon Jung¹, Haekyu Kim^{1

2}, Hyaejin Kim¹, Eunsoo Kim^{1

2}, Jiseok Baik^{1

2}, Hyunjong Kang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
² Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea.

Abstract

Background: The pentadecapeptide BPC-157 has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects on multiple target tissues and organs. Peptides have potent anti-inflammatory effects on periodontal tissues in rats with periodontitis. Few studies have investigated the effect of BPC-157 on pain after dental procedures or oral surgeries. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the antinociceptive effects of BPC-157 on postoperative incisional pain in rats.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (saline with the same volume), BPC10 (10 µg/kg of BPC-157), BPC20 (20 µg/kg of BPC-157), BPC40 (40 µg/kg of BPC-157), and morphine (5 mg/kg of morphine). A 1-cm longitudinal incision was made through the skin, fascia, and muscle of the plantar aspect of the hind paw in isoflurane-anesthetised rats. Withdrawal responses were measured using von Frey filaments at 0, 2, 6 h and 4, 7 d after incision. The formalin test was also performed to differentiate its anti-nociceptive effect from an inflammatory reaction or central sensitization. Pain behavior was quantified periodically in phases 1 and 2 by counting the number of flinches in the ipsilateral paw after injection with 30 µL of 5% formalin.

Results: The threshold of mechanical allodynia was significantly increased in the BPC10, BPC20, BPC40 and morphine groups compared with that in the control group at 2 h. These increasing thresholds then returned to the levels of the control group. The BPC-157 group showed a much higher threshold at 4 days after incision than the control group. The thresholds of the BPC groups, except the morphine group, were normalized 7 days after incision.The flinching numbers of the BPC10, BPC20, BPC40 and morphine groups were significantly decreased in phase 1, but there was no decrease in the BPC-157 groups except the morphine group in phase 2.

Conclusions: BPC-157 was effective only for a short period after incision. It was also effective during phase 1 but not during phase 2, as determined by the formalin test. BPC-157 might have a short antinociceptive effect, even though it has anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects.

Keywords: BPC-157; Formalin Test; Incisional Pain Model; Mechanical Allodynia.