Octreotide acetate is a long-acting somatostatin analogue with protean
physiologic effects. It is used primarily as an inhibitory paracrine
hormone to treat a variety of medical and surgical disorders, includin
g endocrine tumors and several gastrointestinal hypersecretory states.
Because of octreotide's known inhibition of multiple trophic and anab
olic hormones, we suspected that it may have deleterious effects on wo
und healing. Twenty-four rats were randomized to one of three groups:
control, steroid (a negative control), or octreotide. Dorsal midline i
ncisions were made and closed primarily. Wound-breaking strength measu
rements were performed 7 days later. The mean peak load (+/- standard
error of the mean) for each group was calculated: control = 754 +/- 89
g; steroid = 378 +/- 32 g; and octreotide = 427 +/- 41 g. The differe
nce between the control group and each of the other groups was statist
ically significant with P < 0.030. We conclude that octreotide has sig
nificant adverse effects on wound healing in the rat model and that th
ese effects are comparable in magnitude to those caused by steroids.