Rat pancreas after long-term treatment with the somatostatin analogue octreotide.
Somatostatin is a potent inhibitor of endocrine and exocrine pancreatic secretion. However, it is not clear whether it also inhibits pancreatic growth. Therefore we treated male Wistar rats with a somatostatin analogue, octreotide (12-192 micrograms/(kg body wt.day)), over a period of 14 days. In a dose-dependent manner, this potent and long-acting analogue caused a reduction in weight of the pancreas and a reduction in pancreatic content of protein, DNA, trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase, as well as pancreatic content of insulin-, glucagon- and somatostatin-like immunoreactivities. When growth of rat pancreas was induced by oral administration of camostate (200 mg/(kg body wt. day) or by subcutaneous administration of cholecystokinin (2 x 10 micrograms/(kg body wt. day)) over a period of 14 days, octreotide (12-192 micrograms/(kg body wt.day)) had the same effects, but these were even more pronounced. We conclude that somatostatin is an important regulator of pancreatic growth.
von Schönfeld
J
J
Department of Gastroenterology, Medical Clinic, University Clinic Essen, Germany.
Meisse
F
F
Müller
M K
MK
D000818:Animals; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004952:Esters; D016670:Gabexate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006146:Guanidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
D004952:Esters; D006146:Guanidines; C034532:camostat; D016670:Gabexate; D002766:Cholecystokinin; D015282:Octreotide