Somatostatin-induced cholestasis can be independent of portal blood flow.

Short-term experiments were performed on adult mongrel dogs (15 to 25 kg) anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. The operative procedure included cholecystectomy, side-to-side mesocaval shunt with ligation of the portal vein, and cannulation of the common bile duct. Intravenous sodium taurocholate (500 mg/hr) was administered to prevent depletion of bile salts. Somatostatin (125 micrograms over 30 minutes) was given to six dogs after 2 hours of bile salt infusion, while six additional dogs received saline to serve as control. Bile flow decreased significantly during administration of somatostatin (206 +/- 28 to 150 +/- 21 microliters kg-1 15 min-1, P less than 0.001) and was unchanged during administration of saline (216 +/- 45 to 216 +/- 46 microliters kg-1 15 min-1). This decrease persisted for 1/2 hour after cessation of the somatostatin infusion. Bile salt outputs were similar for both groups throughout the experiment. The data demonstrate that somatostatin-induced cholestasis can be independent of portal blood flow.