Short-term Effects of Somatostatin Analogue (SMS 201-995) on Left Ventricular Function in Healthy Persons: a Scintigraphic Study

Since somatostatin has been reported to have a negative inotropic and chronotropic effect on atria and positive inotropic effect on ventricle, present study was designed to investigate the acute effects of somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 infusion on the left ventricular function in healthy volunteers. After labeling the autologous red blood cells with 750-1000 MBq 99mTc-pertechnetate, ECG-gated radionuclide ventriculography was performed. Using Fourier analysis of the left ventricular time-activity curve, ejection fraction (EF), peak ejection rate (PER), peak filling rate (PFR), time to end-systole (TES) and normalized TES/T values were calculated. Study group consisted of 12 healthy volunteers. Somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 infusion was given at a rate of 100 micrograms/h during 2h. Baseline, 1st, 2nd h and 4th h imagings were done using the same protocol. Simultaneously heart rate and blood pressure were recorded. The difference between parameters was tested using Kruskall-Wallis test. The mean heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures and did not show any statistically significant change during the somatostatin analogue infusion and 2h later in comparison to baseline values. The mean PER and PFR had a slight decrease at the first hour of infusion, but the change was not significant. However, the significant correlation of PER values with heart rate, EF and TES observed at baseline study were disappeared during the infusion. These results indicate that somatostatin analogue infusion does not appear to change the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in healthy persons significantly.