Protective Effects of BPC 157 on Liver, Kidney, and Lung Distant Organ Damage in Rats with Experimental Lower-Extremity Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background and

Objectives

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury can affect multiple distant organs following I/R in the lower extremities. BPC-157's anti-inflammatory and free radical-neutralizing properties suggest its potential in mitigating ischemia-reperfusion damage. This study evaluates the protective effects of BPC-157 on remote organ damage, including the kidneys, liver, and lungs, in a rat model of skeletal muscle I/R injury. Materials and

Methods

A total of 24 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham (S), BPC-157(B), lower extremity I/R(IR) and lower extremity I/R+BPC-157(I/RB). Some 45 min of ischemia of lower extremity was followed by 2 h of reperfusion of limbs. BPC-157 was applied to groups B and I/RB at the beginning of the procedure. After 2 h of reperfusion, liver, kidney and lung tissues were harvested for biochemical and histopathological analyses.

Results

In the histopathological examination, vascular and glomerular vacuolization, tubular dilation, hyaline casts, and tubular cell shedding in renal tissue were significantly lower in the I/RB group compared to other groups. Lung tissue showed reduced interstitial edema, alveolar congestion, and total damage scores in the I/RB group. Similarly, in liver tissue, sinusoidal dilation, necrotic cells, and mononuclear cell infiltration were significantly lower in the I/RB group. Additionally, the evaluation of TAS, TOS, OSI, and PON-1 revealed a statistically significant increase in antioxidant activity in the liver, lung, and kidney tissues of the I/RB group.

Conclusions

The findings of this study demonstrate that BPC-157 exerts a significant protective effect against distant organ damage in the liver, kidneys, and lungs following lower extremity ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.