EFFECTS OF SOMATOSTATIN ON HUMAN SATIETY

Somatostatin (ST) inhibits gastrointestinal motility and exocrine and endocrine secretions. In animals, ST has been demonstated to decrease food intake. We investigated, in a randomized double-blind investigati on in 10 healthy humans, the effects of an intravenous ST infusion com pared to saline on subjective hunger feelings. After 1 h, a low dose o f fat was given intraduodenally to induce the release of endogenous up per-intestinal satiety factors. Ninety minutes later sandwiches were s erved and eaten until satiation. In the first hour, when no intraduode nal fat was given, there was a significant decrease in feelings of hun ger with ST (p < 0.05). During the intraduodenal fat infusion this pat tern reversed with a trend towards less satiety with ST. Food intake d uring intraduodenal fat infusion tended to be higher during ST (305 +/ - 42 g) than during saline (205 +/- 36 g) although not significantly. In the 5 h after the experiment hunger feelings were significantly les s after ST. In conclusion, we found evidence for a satiety effect of S T in humans which reversed towards less satiety when intraduodenal int ralipid, which presumably produced endogenous satiety factors, was giv en. Postmeal satiety is higher after ST.