BPC-157 applied as eye drops fully counteracted corneal numbness, healed corneal lesions, and restored tear production after topical anesthetic use in rats.
Full counteractionBPC-157 reversed all three anesthetic effects: corneal numbness, lesions, and reduced tear volume
What the researchers found
BPC-157 eye drops (0.4 μg/eye) fully counteracted tetracaine and oxybuprocaine corneal effects — restoring sensitivity, healing lesions, and normalizing tear production — even when the NO system was blocked.
Why it matters
Corneal anesthetics are widely used in ophthalmology but cause temporary damage. A peptide eye drop that accelerates recovery could improve patient comfort and safety after eye procedures.
The numbers in context
BPC-157 0.4 ug/eye; full counteraction of corneal insensitivity, lesions, tear reduction; effective with L-NAME or L-arginine co-administration
How the study worked
Controlled rat study measuring corneal sensitivity (Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer), corneal lesions (fluorescein staining), and tear volume (Schirmer test) after anesthetic application with BPC-157 and NO pathway modulators.
Who was studied
Rats with tetracaine or oxybuprocaine-induced corneal anesthesia
What this study cannot tell us
Rat model only; single BPC-157 dose tested; no long-term safety data for ocular BPC-157 use; mechanism beyond NO pathway involvement not fully elucidated.
How to read the evidence
Well-controlled animal study with multiple validated outcome measures and NO pathway investigation, but limited to rats with a single peptide dose.
When this study was published
Published in 2020; BPC-157 ocular applications represent a newer research direction within the broader BPC-157 literature.
The bigger picture
This extends BPC-157 research into ophthalmology, demonstrating its cytoprotective and healing properties in a new tissue context — consistent with its broader wound-healing profile.
Questions still open
- Could BPC-157 eye drops be used clinically to accelerate recovery after ophthalmic procedures?
- What is the optimal BPC-157 concentration for human ocular applications?
- Does BPC-157 protect against corneal damage from repeated or prolonged anesthetic use?
Common questions
Can BPC-157 help eyes recover from anesthesia?
How does BPC-157 work in the eye?
Read the original research
Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 shortens duration of tetracaine- and oxybuprocaine-induced corneal anesthesia in rats.
Acta clinica Croatica, 59(3), 394-406
Citation
Mirković, Ivan; Kralj, Tamara; Lozić, Marin; Stambolija, Vasilije; Kovačević, Josip; Vrdoljak, Luka; Zlatar, Mirna; Milanović, Kristina; Drmić, Domagoj; Predović, Jurica; Masnec, Sanja; Jurjević, Matija; Bušić, Mladen; Seiwerth, Sven; Kokot, Antonio; Sikirić, Predrag. (2020). Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 shortens duration of tetracaine- and oxybuprocaine-induced corneal anesthesia in rats.. Acta clinica Croatica, 59(3), 394-406. https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2020.59.03.02