AMELIORATION OF INTESTINAL DYSMOTILITY AND STASIS BY OCTREOTIDE EARLYAFTER SMALL-BOWER AUTOTRANSPLANTATION IN DOGS

BACKGROUND: Intestinal dysmotility and stasis after intestinal transpl antation are considered to promote bacterial overgrowth and translocat ion, Two prokinetic agents, KW5139 (13-leu-motilin) and the somatostat in analogue octreotide acetate, were studied to determine whether they can ameliorate intestinal dysmotility during the early postoperative period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Motility was recorded by multiple extra luminal strain-gauge transducers in 6 dogs on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 14. A barium meal study was performed with a separate group of 8 dogs on postoperative days 3 and 7. RESULTS: The agent KW5139 induc ed brief, weak contractions in the graft and had little effect on the dilated bowel; however, octreotide induced motor activity that propell ed accumulated intestinal contents into the colon and reduced dilation of the transplanted bowel. CONCLUSION: Octreotide, but not KW5139, am eliorates intestinal dysmotility associated with bowel autotransplanta tion during the early postoperative period. Short-term administration of octreotide may be useful for the treatment of dysmotility following intestinal transplantation.