EFFECT OF A NEW ORAL SOMATOSTATIN ANALOG (SDZ-CO-611) ON GASTRIC-EMPTYING, MOUTH TO CECUM TRANSIT-TIME, AND PANCREATIC AND GUT HORMONE-RELEASE IN NORMAL-MALE SUBJECTS

Sixteen healthy male volunteers participated in a randomized, double b lind, parallel groups study. Subjects received either 1 or 5 mg SDZ CO 611 (a new, orally active somatostatin analog) twice daily over a 14- day period and acted as their own controls. Gastric emptying of Tc-99m and mouth to cecum transit time, as measured by the breath hydrogen t echnique, after a mixed meal containing lactulose and Tc-99m-diethylen etriaminepentaacetate, were assessed once before, twice during, and on ce after the period of study medication. Gastric emptying of Te-99m wa s significantly accelerated by the higher dose of SDZ CO 611, whereas mouth to cecum transit time was prolonged by the drug in a dose-depend ent manner. Both doses of SDZ CO 611 led to suppression of the fasting level and postprandial release of several gastrointestinal and pancre atic hormones. This effect was more marked in those subjects taking 10 mg/day of the study medication. Motilin and pancreatic polypeptide we re the most sensitive to the inhibitory actions of the analog. Glucose tolerance was significantly impaired by the 10-mg dose of the drug. W e conclude that this new, orally active derivative of somatostatin is as effective on the gastrointestinal tract as the sc somatostatin anal og octreotide. It would, therefore, be a useful advance in the treatme nt of gastroentesopancreatic tumors.