SOMATOSTATIN AND CHOLERESIS IN MAN DURING THE DIGESTIVE PHASE

The effect of somatostatin on human choleresis has been poorly studied . Nearly all present knowledge comes from animal research (dog). In th e human being, the effect is known in fasted patients. But no data are available of its action during digestion. In the present study, befor e removing the choledochostomy T-tube from 73 patients operated on for biliary disease, the bile output (40% of the total choleresis) was me asured for 4 hours, at 30 min intervals: during fasting, lunch and aft er lunch: 1) at fasting (A) 10.5 +/- 2.2 cc; at lunch (B) 18.6 +/- 5.4 cc, and after lunch (C) 16.8 +/- 4.5 cc. These diferences were highly significant: A vs B p < 0.0001, and A vs C p < 0.0001. In a second pa rt, 10 of these patients received subcutaneously 0.1 mg of SMS 201-995 (a somatostatin's analogue) 30 min before lunch. In all patients the bile output was significantly reduced: 1) prandial phase (D) 9.6 +/- 2 .6 cc, and 2) post-prandial phase (E) 5.1 +/- 2.2 cc. Flow in E was si gnificantly reduced when compared to A. Action of 0.1 mg SMS lasted ab out 120 min. We conclude that SMS decreases prandial and post-prandial choleresis in humans.