[The effect of somatostatin in dumping syndrome]

The effect of cyclic somatostatin on early and late dumping syndrome was studied in 12 patients with gastric resection. Each patient underwent two glucose challenges with 75 grams of glucose administered orally. In the control study isotonic sodium chloride was given, while in the other study cyclic somatostatin in a dose of 250 micrograms bolus injection followed by infusion of 80 ng/kg/min for a period of 270 minutes. In the control study all patients showed subjective symptoms of the early dumping syndrome with significant increases in pulse rate, hematocrit, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. Ten patients showed asymptomatic hypoglycemia, as a sign of the late dumping syndrome associated with a significant increases of insulin, gastric inhibitory peptide and glucagon levels. During the administration of somatostatin these changes failed to develop. These results indicate that somatostatin alleviates the symptoms of early and late postprandial dumping syndrome.