BPC 157 as a Therapy for Retinal Ischemia Induced by Retrobulbar Application of L-NAME in Rats
Zlatar et al./Frontiers/2021
Why It Matters
This paper caught my attention because BPC-157 gets thrown around in longevity circles as a healing peptide, but most claims lack serious evidence. Here we have controlled data showing it protected retinal blood vessels and tissue structure in rats—not just immediate protection, but reversal of damage two days later. That said, this is purely animal research using an artificial injury model. No human data exists for retinal applications, and injecting anything behind your eyeball isn't exactly a home biohack. Still, the mechanism—interaction with the nitric oxide system—is interesting for vascular health broadly.
Key Findings
- Single retrobulbar injection of L-NAME (a nitric oxide blocker) caused progressive retinal blood vessel damage, optic disc atrophy, and tissue layer breakdown over 4 weeks in rats
- BPC-157 given 20 minutes after injury prevented progression—fundoscopy showed only discrete vessel irregularity that normalized within weeks instead of severe damage
- BPC-157 given 48 hours after injury still reversed damage—late treatment produced similar protective effects as immediate treatment
- Histology at 1, 2, and 4 weeks confirmed BPC-157 protected inner plexiform and inner nuclear layers, maintaining normal retinal thickness versus thinning in untreated rats
- Effective dose was extremely low: 10 micrograms (10 nanograms per kg body weight) as a one-time retrobulbar injection per eye