[Somatostatin and choleresis in human beings during the digestive phase]

The effect of somatostatin on human choleresis has been poorly studied. Nearly all present knowledge comes from animal research (dog). In the human being, the effect is known in fasted patients. But no data are available of its action during digestion. In the present study, before removing the choledochostomy T-tube from 73 patients operated on for biliary disease, the bile output (40% of the total choleresis) was measured for 4 hours, at 30 min intervals: during fasting, lunch and after lunch: 1) at fasting (A) 10.5 +/- 2.2 cc; at lunch (B) 18.6 +/- 5.4 cc, and after lunch (C) 16.8 +/- 4.5 cc. These differences were highly significant: A vs B p < 0.0001, and A vs C p < 0.0001. In a second part, 10 of these patients received subcutaneously 0.1 mg of SMS 201-995 (a somatostatin's analogue) 30 min before lunch. In all patients the bile output was significantly reduced: 1) prandial phase (D) 9.6 +/- 2.6 cc, and 2) post-prandial phase (E) 5.1 +/- 2.2 cc. Flow in E was significantly reduced when compared to A. Action of 0.1 mg SMS lasted about 120 min. We conclude that SMS decreases prandial and postprandial choleresis in humans.