Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P61278 (somatostatin)
 22,083 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The medical treatment of portal hypertension has experienced a marked progress in the past decade due to the introduction of effective portal hypotensive therapy. This has been possible because of the better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to portal hypertension. A major step forward was the introduction of beta-blockers for the prevention of bleeding and rebleeding from gastroesophageal varices. Effective therapy requires the reduction of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) to 12 mmHg or below, or at least by 20% of baseline values. Unfortunately, this is only achieved in 1/3 to 1/2 of patients. Combination therapy, associating isosorbide-5-mononitrate and propranolol or nadolol administration enhances the reduction in portal pressure and increases the number of patients in whom HVPG decreases by more than 20% of baseline values and below 12 mmHg. Randomized clinical trials (RCT's) do support the concept that combination therapy is more effective than propranolol or nadolol alone, significantly better than sclerotherapy, and probably than endoscopic banding ligation. Therapy may be complemented by the association of spironolactone. The main inconvenience of pharmacological therapy is that there is no non-invasive method available to detect non-responders to treatment. Failures of drug therapy should be managed endoscopically. Failures of endoscopic treatment require 'rescue' by means of TIPS or shunt surgery. Patients with advanced liver failure should be considered for orthotopic liver transplantation, and put into a waiting list if eligible. In the treatment of acute variceal bleeding pharmacological therapy offer the unique advantage of allowing to provide specific therapy immediately after arrival to hospital, or even during transferral to hospital by ambulance, since it does not require sophisticated equipment and highly qualified medical staff. Vasopressin has been abandoned because of its toxicity, although this can be reduced by the combined administration of transdermal nitroglycerin. Terlipressin has longer effects and is more effective and safer than vasopressin alone or in combination with nitroglycerin. It has proved to be effective and to decrease mortality from bleeding in double-blind studies. RCT's have shown that this drug is as effective and safer than emergency sclerotherapy. Therapy should be maintained for five days to prevent early rebleeding. Somatostatin is probably as effective as terlipressin. Octreotide is probably useful after endoscopic therapy but can not be recommended as first line treatment. Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy and endoscopic banding ligation are very effective, but require well trained medical staff. There is an increasing trend for initiating therapy with a pharmacological agent, followed by semi-emergency endoscopic therapy as soon as a well trained endoscopist is available (within 12-24 hours), while maintaining drug therapy for 5 days. Failures of medical therapy may be treated by a second session of endoscopic treatment, but if this fails TIPS of emergency surgery should be done. In high-risk situations, such as bleeding from gastric varices or in patients with advanced liver failure, the decision for TIPS or surgery should be done earlier, after failure of the initial treatment.
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PMID:The sixth Carlos E. Rubio Memorial Lecture. Prevention and treatment of variceal hemorrhage. 1076 Dec 6

High gastrointestinal hemorrhage represents the more frequent (12-71.1%) and heavy complication of hepatic cirrhosis and correlates to portal hypertension; it is weighed by global mortality which sways from 30 to 50%. High gastrointestinal hemorrhage gives, therefore, a serious of diagnostic and therapeutic problems not easy to guide for at least 3 reasons: numerous causes of bleeding; hepatic failure; the marigold possible therapies. Aim of this work is to clarify some diagnostic and therapeutic features about high gastrointestinal hemorrhage in cirrhotic patient, because such eventuality often presents dramatic aspects, which endangers the patient's life. Our experience shows a casuistry referred to the period of time which goes from 1987 to 1998 and that comprehend 143 examined patients: 91 of theme have been submitted to medical treatment (endoscopic sclerotherapy, glupressin e/o somatostatin); in 52 cases it has been possible to realize a surgical treatment, different from the elective therapy (33 pz) and emergency therapy. Immediate hemostatic effect obtained in both the conditions, has been satisfying with best results at a distance of three years and five years given by devascularization. As matter stands our preference of the devascularization surgical treatment, it seems appropriate to pay attention to the operation of mesocaval anastomosis which, either in Our very brief experience (3 cases) or by international literature, seems to offer encouraging results.
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PMID:[Emergencies in gastroesophageal varices hemorrhage in the patient with portal hypertension]. 1092 Apr 90

High gastrointestinal hemorrhage represents the more frequent (12-71.1%) and heavy complication of hepatic cirrhosis and correlates to portal hypertension; it is weighed by global mortality which sways from 30 to 50%. High gastrointestinal hemorrhage gives, therefore, a serious of diagnostic and therapeutic problems not easy to guide for at least 3 reasons: numerous causes of bleeding; hepatic failure; the marigold possible therapies. Aim of this work is to clarify some diagnostic and therapeutic features about high gastrointestinal hemorrhage in cirrhotic patient, because such eventuality often presents dramatic aspects, which endangers the patient's life. Our experience shows a casuistry referred to the period of time which goes from 1987 to 1998 and that comprehend 143 examined patients: 91 of them have been submitted to medical treatment (endoscopic sclerotherapy, glupressin e/o somatostatin); in 52 cases it has been possible to realize a surgical treatment, different from the elective therapy (33 pz) and emergency therapy. Immediate hemostatic effect obtained in both the conditions, has been satisfying with best results at a distance of three years and five years given by devascularization. As matter stands our preference of the devascularization surgical treatment, it seems appropriate to pay attention to the operation of mesocaval anastomosis which, either in our very brief experience (3 cases) or by international literature, seems to offer encouraging results.
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PMID:[Hemorrhagic emergency due to esophagogastric varices in the portal hypertension patient]. 1110 69

Pharmacologic therapy for portal hypertension is effective in the treatment and prevention of hemorrhage from esophagogastric varices. Acute hemorrhage from varices can be treated with intravenous agents such as somatostatin or terlipressin, either alone or in combination with endoscopic sclerotherapy or band ligation. Intravenous octreotide has not shown effectiveness as monotherapy, but it appears to be beneficial when combined with endoscopic treatment. The prevention of rebleeding after initial hemorrhage is best accomplished with non-selective beta blockers, endoscopic band ligation of varices, or a combination of endoscopic and pharmacologic therapies. The addition of oral nitrates may further decrease rebleeding rates, but more data from randomized trials are needed. Beta blockers are currently the only agents recommended for the primary prevention of variceal hemorrhage.
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PMID:Pharmacologic therapy for portal hypertension. 1117 91

Esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding is one of the most severe complications of portal hypertension and with high mortality. The aim of the therapy is to stop bleeding, replace the lost amount of blood and erythrocytes, treat coagulopathy, prevent rebleeding and improve liver function. Commonly accepted method to stop bleeding from varices is endoscopic hemostasis. Four vasoactive drugs, two natural peptides (vasopressin and somatostatin) and their analogues (terlipressin and octreotide) can control acute bleeding from gastric and esophageal varices. They lower portal pressure and the pressure in colateral circulation by vasoconstriction in splanchnic basin, and by inhibition the activity of endogenous vasodilatators. The high incidence of serious side-effects of vasopressin, even with nitroglycerin, has limited its application and decreased the use of this drug, with its abandonment in Europe. The vasopressin analogue, terlipressin, has a lower number of side-effects and is more effective in control of bleeding. Early terlipressin application at home, prior to hospital admission, diminishes mortality due to bleeding, thus attaching additional importance to this drug. Somatostatin, when applied as intravenous bolus injection, controls acute bleeding very efficiently and quickly. Five day somatostatin infusion after endoscopic hemostasis prevents rebleeding, with minimal side-effects. Octreotide is very efficient in long-term therapy of endocrine tumors due to its longer half-life, better hormone inhibition, and simple application compared to somatostatin. Like somatostatin, it can also control variceal bleeding. It appears that the long-term subcutaneous octreotide application prevents rebleeding and improves liver function, all of which yields a new dimension to its use.
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PMID:[Drug therapy of hemorrhage in esophageal and gastric varices: role of vasoactive drugs]. 1129 Dec 71

Endoscopic therapy and in particular endoscopic variceal banding ligation, in experienced hands, is the treatment of choice for acute variceal bleeding which remains a major cause of death in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Pharmacological therapy with Glypressin or somatostatin can be useful to gain time when the endoscopic expertise is not available or to help to obtain a clearer endoscopic view. Transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic stent shunt is currently used for endoscopic failures, producing similar results with the surgical portacaval shunts. Which one of the two should be preferred, since they both work best in relatively compensated patients, should be a balance between the available surgical and radiological expertise, the urgency of the situation and the expected course of the disease.
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PMID:Management of acute variceal haemorrhage. 1133 59

Many advances in the management of portal hypertension and variceal hemorrhage have occurred during the last 10 years. Effective therapy for primary prevention of variceal hemorrhage is now available in the form of nonselective beta-blockers. Active bleeding should be managed with terlipressin, somatostatin or its analogues, and endoscopic therapy; TIPS and surgery are reserved as salvage therapy for patients who fail endoscopic treatment. Survivors of a variceal hemorrhage should be evaluated for liver transplantation. Specific treatment may be provided with EVL while these patients await transplantation. Patients who fail endoscopic treatment may be treated by TIPS or surgery.
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PMID:Portal hypertension. 1138 74

This review explores the possible modulatory role of the neuropeptide somatostatin in the outcome of Schistosoma-caused morbidity in man. Somatostatin could play an important role in Schistosoma mansoni-man interactions via its influence on intersystem signalling; therapeutically, via its direct effect on Schistosoma-caused morbidity (fibrosis, granuloma size, portal hypertension, variceal bleeding); and via immunomodulation of Schistosoma-induced inflammatory responses in the liver and intestines. In schistosomiasis-endemic regions two interesting patterns of infection emerge. First, the intensity of infection is higher in children than in adults; secondly, at any given time, only a fraction of Schistosoma-infected individuals develop Symmer's pipe-stem fibrosis. These morbidity patterns cannot be explained on the basis of acquired immunity alone. Somatostatin has an inhibitory effect on hormone, immune and physiological body functions like growth hormone secretion, Interferon (IFN) gamma production, collagen I and III formation and hepatic stellate cell activation. Levels of somatostatin secreted endogenously by man upon the onset of Schistosoma infection may be one factor regulating the activity of the above, and thereby fibrosis in the host. The neuropeptide hormone somatostatin may determine pre-disposition to Schistosoma-caused morbidity.
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PMID:The role of somatostatin in schistosomiasis: a basis for immunomodulation in host-parasite interactions? 1155 24

Each variceal bleed is associated with 20% to 30% risk of dying. Management of portal hypertension after a bleed consists of (1) control of bleeding and (2) prevention of rebleeding. Effective control of bleeding can be achieved either pharmacologically by administering somatostatin or octreotide or endoscopically via sclerotherapy or variceal band ligation. In practice, both pharmacologic and endoscopic therapy are used concomitantly. Rebleeding can be prevented by endoscopic obliteration of varices. In this setting, variceal ligation is the preferred endoscopic modality. B-blockade is as effective as endoscopic therapy and, in combination, the two modalities may be additive.
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PMID:Management of portal hypertension after variceal hemorrhage. 1156 37

In liver cirrhosis, increased resistance to portal blood flow is the primary factor in the pathophysiology of portal hypertension. The recognition of a dynamic component in hepatic resistance due to the active-reversible contraction of different elements of the portohepatic bed, has led to the active development of hepatic vasodilators. On the other hand, a significant increase in portal blood flow caused by arteriolar splanchnic vasodilation and hyperkinetic circulation, aggravates portal hypertension and provides the rational for the use of splanchnic vasoconstrictors, such as beta-blockers, vasopressin derivatives and somatostatin and its analogs. This review covers current developments in the treatment of portal hypertension.
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PMID:Pharmacological treatment of portal hypertension. 1189 Mar 56


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