THE ADVERSE-EFFECTS OF OCTREOTIDE ON THE HEALING OF COLONIC ANASTOMOSES IN RATS

Octreotide, a long-acting somatostatin analogue, is widely used in gas trointestinal hypersecretory states and also for endocrine tumors in a n attempt to inhibit the paracrine hormones, Although it is well known that octreotide inhibits trophic and anabolic hormones, no research h as been conducted on its adverse effects on wound healing, In the pres ent study, groups of rats were given 20 mcg/kg/day octreotide and 100 mg/kg/day hydrocortisone, the latter being the negative control group, starting 5 days preoperatively. The colonic anastomoses were assessed for healing on postoperative days (PODs) 5 and 8 by detemining the bu rsting pressure of the anastomoses, performing histopathological analy sis, End measuring the hydroxyproline content of the anastomotic tissu es, Octreotide was found to affect anastomotic healing negatively on b oth PODs 5 and 8, but the negative effect of hydrocortisone was signif icant only on POD 8. No significant difference was found between the a dverse effects of the two agents on POD 8. These findings indicated th at octreotide has an adverse effect on the healing of colonic anastomo ses in rats.