Octreotide lowers gastric mucosal blood flow in normal and portal hypertensive stomachs.
BACKGROUND
The vasoactive peptide octreotide has an established role in controlling variceal hemorrhage. The mechanism of action is believed to be a reduction in splanchnic blood flow. A decrease in splanchnic blood flow should be mirrored by a decrease in gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF). Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) should detect changes in GMBF.


METHODS
In seven normal volunteers and four patients with portal hypertension, 100 micro g of octreotide was administered as an intravenous bolus. Continuous LDF measurements were then made at a single point on the midantrum for at least 10 min and plotted against time for each subject.


RESULTS
After a variable period of stabilization, GMBF decreased in all subjects except one. This was statistically significant in both the controls and the patients with portal hypertension.


CONCLUSIONS
Octreotide decreases GMBF in normal and portal hypertensive stomachs. Laser Doppler is a useful and minimally invasive tool to assess the effect of drugs on GMBF.
Clarke
D L
DL
Department of General Surgery, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, Private Bag 7, Congella, South Africa, 4013.
McKune
A
A
Thomson
S R
SR
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply*; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D015282:Octreotide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects
D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D015282:Octreotide