Abdominal surgery performed under general anesthesia increases somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in human serum.
OBJECTIVE
It has been established in animals that somatostatin (SST) is released from pain-activated sensory nerve endings and exerts systemic antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of SST-like immunoreactivity (SST-LI) in human serum before, immediately after and 2 h after surgical operations.


METHODS
25 patients were enrolled in the study. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, abdominal wall hernia or inguinal hernia operations were performed under combined anesthesia. A 5-ml blood sample was drawn from each patient, the blood was centrifuged and the serum frozen. SST-LI was determined from the defrosted samples by radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
Abdominal surgical operationsinduced a significant increase of SST-LI in the serum. 2 h later it was restored in the cases of laparoscopic interventions but still remained elevated after hernia surgeries.


CONCLUSIONS
In this human study we showed for the first time that surgical interventions elevate the endogenous SST-LI in human serum. It is assumed that the released SST is derived from the activated sensory nerves. Since antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of neural SST have already been established in laboratory animals, we presume that this endogenous protective mechanism also operates in humans.
Antal
Andras
A
Department of Surgery, General Hospital Nagyatad, Nagyatad, Hungary.
Nemeth
Jozsef
J
Szolcsányi
Janos
J
Pozsgai
Gabor
G
Pinter
Erika
E
D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D018681:Anesthetics, General / Q000494:pharmacology; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000097:blood*; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000009:adverse effects; D005246:Feedback / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000502:physiology; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000097:blood*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
D018681:Anesthetics, General; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D013004:Somatostatin