The effect of octreotide on wound healing: an in vitro and in vivo experimental study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of octreotide on wound healing.

Design: Experimental studies in vitro and in rats.

Setting: Teaching hospital, Israel.

Material: Cultured human diploid fetal fibroblasts, and 36 male Wistar rats.

Interventions: Octreotide was added to cultures of fibroblasts in doses of 2, 10, 30, 60 and 120 ng/ml and fibroblasts were counted after 2, 4, and 6 days. Intestinal anastomoses were made in 36 rats. Rats in the octreotide group (n = 18) were given subcutaneous injections of 0.25 microg/kg twice daily and 6 rats were killed at 3, 7, and 14 days. The control group were given injections of saline. Anastomotic bursting pressures and hydroxyproline content were measured at each of the three times.

Main Outcome Measures: Fibroblast counts, anastomotic bursting pressures, and hydroxyproline concentrations.

Results: Octreotide did not inhibit fibroblast proliferation in any of the doses at any of the time periods. The anastomotic bursting pressure was slightly higher in the octreotide group at each of the time points, but not significantly so, and there was no difference in hydroxyproline content between the octreotide and control groups. Octreotide did not inhibit wound healing either in vitro or in vivo.