Korean J Gastroenterol.  2003 Oct;42(4):283-288.

Effects of Octreotide on Small Bowel Obstructions in Rats

• Cho JH
• Kang HG
• Kim SH
• Lee HS
• Lee KR
• Kang HY

Abstract

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Gastrointestinal decompression by nasogastric or intestinal tubes developed in 1930s has been the only treatment modality for inoperable intestinal obstruction. We hypothesized that the octreotide, a potent inhibitor of intestinal secretion, has a therapeutic potential in intestinal obstruction.
METHODS
Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups. The rats were subjected to complete or partial ileal obstruction. The treated rats received octreotide (100 microgram/kg) while the controls received the same quantity of saline every 12 hours for 24 or 48 hours. After 24 or 48 hours, the volumes of the small bowel contents were measured. The volumes of supernatant and the concentrations of electrolytes in the small bowel contents after centrifugation were also analyzed. The ileal segments proximal to obstruction were harvested, fixed, and stained, and the pathological changes were evaluated with mucosal damage scores.
RESULTS
There were no statistical differences in the volume and the electrolyte composition of intestinal fluid among the 4 groups. In the 48 hour complete obstruction group, the octreotide-treated rats showed statistically lower mucosal damage scores than the control rats (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Octreotide exerts mucosal protecting effect on the complete intestinal obstruction rat model.

Keyword

Octreotide; Intestinal obstruction

MeSH Terms

Animals
Gastrointestinal Agents/*therapeutic use
Ileal Diseases/drug therapy/metabolism/pathology
Ileum/pathology
Intestinal Obstruction/*drug therapy/metabolism/pathology
Octreotide/*therapeutic use
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley