BPC‑157: Upregulates Growth Hormone Receptor in Tendon Fibroblasts to Enhance Healing

Study: Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Enhances the Growth Hormone Receptor Expression in Tendon Fibroblasts

Chang C‑H et al., Molecular (Molecules), 2014 – Rat tendon fibroblast culture model MDPIPMC

Study Overview & Methodology

This in vitro study focused on how BPC‑157 impacts tendon fibroblast cells derived from rat Achilles tendons. Researchers cultured cells at ~50–60% confluence and pre-incubated them with therapeutic doses of BPC‑157 (approximately 0.5 µg/mL) for 1–3 days. After conditioning, exogenous growth hormone (GH) was administered (0.1 µg/mL) to evaluate changes in receptor expression and downstream signaling (notably JAK2 phosphorylation) Wikipedia+MDPI.

Key cellular and molecular assays included:

• RT‑PCR and Western blot analysis to measure both mRNA and protein levels of growth hormone receptor (GHR).

• MTT assays and PCNA expression to assess proliferation.

• Levelling of phosphorylated JAK2 (p‑JAK2) to detect GH-mediated signaling post-BPC‑157 pretreatment PMC+MDPI

Key Findings

1. Upregulated GHR Expression

• BPC‑157 significantly increased GHR mRNA and protein levels in tendon fibroblasts in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

• Gene array screening identified GHR among the top upregulated genes after 3 days of exposure New York Post+MDPI.

2. Enhanced GH Signaling via JAK2

• Pretreatment with BPC‑157, followed by GH exposure, boosted phosphorylation of JAK2, a key downstream component in GH signaling, without altering total JAK2 protein.

• This suggests potentiated GH receptor signaling, enhancing cellular sensitivity MDPI.

3. Improved Proliferation & PCNA Expression

• Combined BPC‑157 and GH treatment yielded more robust cell growth and PCNA expression (a marker associated with DNA synthesis), compared to GH alone MDPIPMC.

4. Stable Effects Over Days

• The GHR and signaling enhancements remained significant even 72 hours post-treatment, indicating durable cellular response to lower doses of BPC‑157 PubMed+MDPI.

Research Implications

• Mechanistic Insight

This study provides clear mechanistic evidence that BPC‑157 may enhance tendon healing not by directly triggering proliferation, but by increasing cellular responsiveness to endogenous growth hormone. By upregulating GHR, even low-dose GH becomes more effective in promoting fibroblast activity.

• Potential Applications

• Enables experiments exploring GH receptor modulation in tendon and connective tissue models.

• Provides a model framework for co-administration studies (BPC‑157 + GH) assessing proliferation, migration, and matrix expression in vitro.

• Useful for designing protocols in regenerative musculoskeletal research, tendon repair, and biomechanics.

• Cost-Efficient Strategy

As hypothesized by the authors, boosting GH receptor levels could allow for lower GH doses in future in vivo or preclinical protocols—possibly reducing cost and risks in long-term studies PubMed+PMC

⚠️ Important Research Use Disclaimer

This study and summary are intended solely for laboratory research use. The peptide BPC‑157 is not approved by the FDA or Health Canada, and is not for human or veterinary use. All findings are experimental and apply only within controlled biological research protocols. ExoLabz provides this summary for researcher education and literature reference only.