Effect of Octreotide on Bacterial Translocation in an Experimental Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis

Abstract

Most patients who develop organ failure with acute pancreatitis present with necrotizing pancreatitis. Octreotide, a synthetic cyclic octapeptide analogue of somatostatin with a longer half-life, shares most biological activities of somatostatin. No conclusive evidence has been made available for its role upon bacterial translocation. This experimental study was planned to assess the probable effect of octreotide on the bacterial translocation in the acute pancreatitis. Rats were divided into three groups each containing 10 rats. We have developed a model of acute pancreatitis in rats by retrograde infusion of tauroglycocolic acid into the biliopancreatic canals. Octreotide was injected 20μg/kg subcutaneously starting at 6th hour after the injection and repeated every 12 hours. Relaparotomy was done after 48 hours, portal vein, mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, lung and spleen, stool samples from cecum were harvested. Octreotide reduced bacterial translocation in an experimental acute pancreatitis model. Lymph nodes, pancreasas and portal blood were the most frequent site of bacterial translocation. In this study octreotide did not reduce the incidence of bacterial translocation in an experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis model. We think that new studies to expose the paradoxic effect of octreotide is essential.