Protective effect of an orally administered, highly potent somatostatin analog (RC-121) against absolute ethanol-induced hemorrhagic erosions of the rat gastric mucosa.

Abstract The cytoprotective effect of a highly potent somatostatin (SRIF) analog, RC-121 (H-D-Phe-C ys-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Cy s-Thr-NH 2 ), was examined in the absolute ethanol-induced gastric erosion model in rat. This analog diminished the degree of gastric erosion by 50–55% when administered in i.p. doses of 2×10 −10 −10 −8 g/100 g body weight, or in oral doses of 10 −8 −2×10 −7 g/100 body weight. The orally active, highly potent SRIF analogs may be useful as therapeutic agents in the treatment of human peptic ulcer.