Octreotide improves oxidative stress in sodium taurocholateinduced pancreatic injury

Abstract

Although the beneficial effects and some of the mechanism
of action of octreotide in the treatment of acute pancreatitis
are known, there is little information concerning its effect
on the oxidative stress induced during the evolution of the
disease. Therefore, we decided to investigate its possible
action in a rat model of taurocholate-induced acute
pancreatitis.
Acute pancreatitis was induced in 16 male Wistar rats by
injection of 0.5ml 5% sodium taurocholate into the duodenal
loop, which remained closed for 60sec, while 16 more
animals were sham operated. A dose of 4Ãg/kg octreotide
or placebo (normal saline) was injected subcutaneously
immediately after the procedure and 12hs later, thus creating
4 study-groups. At 24hs blood was obtained for the assessment
of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as well as of
the antioxidants enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and
glutathione peroxidase (GPx).
The acute pancreatitis rats exhibited a statistically significant
(p=0.01) elevation of MDA levels in relation to the
sham operated or to sham operated-plus-octreotide groups.
However, a highly significant decrease of SOD and GPx levels
was prominent in acute pancreatitis group in relation
to the sham operated or to sham operated-plus-octreotide
groups. Octreotide treatment after acute pancreatitis induction
resulted in a significant suppression of MDA levels
and in a highly significant decrease of SOD and Gpx consumption versus the placebo treatment acute pancreatitis
groups.
The results obtained from this rat model indicate that the
widely accepted beneficial effects of octreotide in the evolution
of acute experimental pancreatitis could be partly
explained by its ability to reduce oxidative stress.
Key words: Octreotide, Experimental pancreatitis, Free radicals, Lipid peroxidation, Oxidative stress, Sodium taurocholate