Effect of somatostatin on liver blood flow and liver metabolic activity in patients with cirrhosis

Abstract

In a group of 10 patients with cirrhosis, protal hypertension, and previous gastro-intestinal bleedings, hepatic plasma flow, indocyanine green clearance and intrinsic hepatic clearance were determined before and during i.v. infusion of somatostatin (7.5 micrograms/min). The same study protocol was performed in a further seven patients with cirrhosis infused with placebo. All these parameters were significantly decreased by the drug (p less than 0.05; less than 0.01; less than 0.01, respectively) mean decrease being 12, 9 and 8%, respectively, while no significant change occurred in the placebo-infused patients. These data indicate that somatostatin infused at a dose of 7.5 micrograms/min in cirrhotics provokes a slight decrease in hepatic plasma flow and in liver metabolic activity. This effect may contribute to further decrease hepatic removal of harmful substances and may increase systemic concentration of drugs metabolized by the liver.