Dose-dependent gastrointestinal effects of the somatostatin analog lanreotide in healthy volunteers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the gastrointestinal effects of intravenous lanreotide. METHODS: Twenty healthy male subjects participated in 2 subsequent placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover studies. The effects of 3 doses of lanreotide (50, 100, and 200 microg/h) were investigated on 24-hour intragastric acidity (study I), food-stimulated gallbladder contraction, and plasma cholecystokinin release (study II). RESULTS: Lanreotide showed linear pharmacokinetics. It raised median intragastric pH significantly and in a dose-dependent manner: from 1.4+/-0.2 (placebo) to 2.5+/-0.8 (P < .002) during administration of 50 microg/h lanreotide, to 3.2+/-0.7 (P < .001) during 100 microg/h lanreotide, and to 4.3+/-0.7 (P < .001) during 200 microg/h lanreotide. However, no significant inhibition of gastrin secretion could be established. All doses completely inhibited postprandial gallbladder contraction. CONCLUSION: Intravenous administration of lanreotide at rates applied in this study was able to significantly inhibit intragastric acid secretion and postprandial gallbladder contraction; under these conditions few untoward effects were noted.