Synthetic somatostatin analogs ameliorate endothelial injury due to hydrochloric acid treatment

Endothelial barrier dysfunction is a key feature of lung injury induced by hydrogen chloride gas, which is converted to HCl in tissues. Synthetic somatostatin analogs (SSA), such as Lanreotide and Octreotide, are prescribed in clinics for acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumor treatment. Recent findings suggest that those FDA-approved drugs can ameliorate inflammatory lung disease. This study aims to assess the potential protective effects of SSA against HCl-induced endothelial injury in vitro, utilizing bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Our observations suggest that HCl exposure impairs endothelial cell viability and proliferation, increases paracellular and transendothelial permeability, and induces reactive oxygen species generation, as expected. Octreotide and Lanreotide treatment alleviate the aforementioned toxic effects and exert anti-inflammatory effects in the impaired endothelial cells. Those data inform us on the potential protective effects of SSA in HCl-induced endothelial injury and inflammation, suggesting that they could be repurposed to ameliorate respiratory complications due to toxicant exposure.