Pancreatic regeneration after subtotal distal resection in rats - Effects of bombesin and octreotide by the in vivo bromodeoxyuridine uptake technique

Forty male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to four treatment groups aft er 90% distal pancreatectomy: group A (control) received saline (0.5 mi sub cutaneously); group B received bombesin (BBS; 10 mu g/kg intraperitoneally) ; group C received octreotide (2.5 mu g/kg subcutaneously), and group D rec eived BBS and octreotide. All substances were injected th ree times a day u ntil sacrifice after 28 days. BBS increased pancreas weight (p = 0.003) and DNA synthesis (p < 0.001), as measured by a bromodeoxyuridine nuclear-labe ling index (BrdU LI). The simultaneous administration of octreotide signifi cantly decreases the remnant pancreas weight (p = 0.016) as compared to gro up B rats; however the BrdU LI is not significantly reduced in group D as c ompared to group B. BBS administration promotes regeneration of the remnant pancreas in terms of hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Although octreotide appe ars to significantly reduce the pancreatic weight increase induced by BBS, it does not reduce DNA synthesis and cell proliferation.