SOMATOSTATIN ANALOG (OCTREOTIDE) INHIBITS BILE-DUCT EPITHELIAL-CELL PROLIFERATION AND FIBROSIS AFTER EXTRAHEPATIC BILIARY OBSTRUCTION

Extrahepatic biliary obstruction leads to bile duct epithelial cell pr oliferation. Somatostatin and its analogue, octreotide, have been show n to inhibit DNA synthesis and proliferation in hepatocytes. We invest igated the effect of octreotide on the biliary epithelial cell prolife rative responses to biliary obstruction. Male Sprague-Dawley rats unde rwent common bile duct ligation and subcutaneous injection of either s aline or octreotide (6 mug/kg) twice daily for 7 days. Morphometric an alysis of hepatocytes, bile duct epithelial cells, and periportal conn ective tissue was performed by computerized point counting. Hepatocyte volume was preserved with octreotide treatment, which also significan tly decreased bile duct proliferation and periportal extracellular mat rix deposition in response to biliary obstruction compared with saline treated, duct-ligated animals. These results indicate that octreotide prevents the morphological changes that accompany extrahepatic biliar y obstruction.