Invest Clin 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026 https://doi.org/10.54817/IC.v67n2a03

Corresponding author: Chendong Ma, No. 1218, Tiyu South Road, Luoxing Street, Jiashan County, Jiaxing 314100,

Zhejiang, China. Email: mcd9376@hotmail.com

Comparative efficacy of octreotide

and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis:

a controlled trial of inflammatory markers

and hospital length of stay.

Qunchao Zhu1, Tian Jiang2, Yan Li3, Sicong Jiang1, Aifang Li4 and Chendong Ma1

1Department of Emergency Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Jiashan, Jiashan

Hospital Affiliated of Jiaxing University, Jiashan, Zhejiang Province, China.

2Department of Thoracic Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi

Province, China.

3Department of Endocrinology, Jiujiang Hukou County People’s Hospital, Hukou,

Jiangxi Province, China.

4Department of Hematology, Jiamusi University Affiliated First Hospital, Jiamusi,

Heilongjiang Province, China.

Keywords: Acute Pancreatitis; Octreotide; Somatostatin; Inflammation; Hospitalization.

Abstract. Acute pancreatitis is an acute pancreatic injury with multiple eti-

ologies. Octreotide and somatostatin are commonly used treatments, but their

clinical efficacy remains controversial. This study compares their effects on in-

flammatory markers and hospital length of stay. One hundred and twenty pa-

tients with acute pancreatitis admitted to The First People’s Hospital of Jiashan

between January 2022 and December 2024 were retrospectively included and

divided into two groups based on treatment modality, namely the control group

(somatostatin treatment) and the experimental group (octreotide treatment),

with 60 cases in each group. Serum amylase (AMY), serum lipase (LPS), C-reac-

tive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), white

blood cell count (WBC), serum albumin (ALB) content, procalcitonin (PCT), hos-

pital stay duration, and the incidence of adverse reactions were assessed in both

groups. Baseline data for the two groups were comparable, with no statistically

significant differences (p>0.05). After seven days of medication, compared with

the control group, patients in the experimental group had lower AMY, LPS, CRP,

IL-6, TNF-α, WBC, and PCT (p<0.05), a shorter hospital stay (p=0.011), and a

lower incidence of adverse reactions (p=0.007). ALB levels in the experimental

group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p=0.039). Com-

pared with somatostatin, octreotide shows superior therapeutic effects in acute

pancreatitis, alleviating inflammation more effectively, promoting recovery, im-

proving clinical outcomes, and shortening hospital stay. These findings provide a

scientific basis for optimizing clinical medication.

190 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

Eficacia comparada de octreótido y somatostatina en

pancreatitis aguda: ensayo controlado sobre marcadores

inflamatorios y duración de la estancia hospitalaria.

Invest Clin 2026; 67 (2): 189 – 204

Palabras clave: Pancreatitis Aguda; Octreótido; Somatostatina; Inflamación;

Hospitalización.

Resumen. La pancreatitis aguda es una lesión pancreática de etiología

múltiple. El octreótido y la somatostatina son tratamientos habituales para

esta condición, aunque su eficacia clínica sigue siendo controvertida. Este es-

tudio compara sus efectos sobre los índices inflamatorios y el tiempo de hos-

pitalización. Se incluyeron retrospectivamente 120 pacientes con pancreati-

tis aguda ingresados en el First People’s Hospital of Jiashan entre enero de

2022 y diciembre de 2024, distribuidos en dos grupos según el tratamiento

recibido: grupo control (tratamiento con somatostatina) y grupo experimental

(tratamiento con octreótido), con 60 casos en cada grupo. Se evaluaron en

ambos grupos la amilasa sérica (AMY), lipasa sérica (LPS), proteína C reactiva

(PCR), interleucina-6 (IL-6), factor de necrosis tumoral α (TNF-α), recuento

de leucocitos (WBC), albúmina sérica (ALB), procalcitonina (PCT), duración

de la estancia hospitalaria e incidencia de reacciones adversas. Los datos basa-

les de ambos grupos no mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas,

lo que confirma su comparabilidad (p>0,05). Después de 7 días de medica-

ción, en comparación con el grupo control, los pacientes del grupo experi-

mental presentaron niveles más bajos de AMY, LPS, PCR, IL-6, TNF-α, WBC y

PCT (p<0,05); la duración de la estancia hospitalaria fue menor (p=0,011);

y la incidencia de reacciones adversas fue inferior (p=0,007). Los niveles de

ALB en el grupo experimental fueron significativamente más altos que en el

grupo control (p=0,039). En comparación con la somatostatina, el octreótido

muestra una eficacia terapéutica superior en la pancreatitis aguda, aliviando la

inflamación de forma más marcada, favoreciendo la recuperación, mejorando

la eficacia clínica y acortando la hospitalización. Estos resultados aportan una

base científica para optimizar el tratamiento farmacológico clínico.

Received: 27-01-2026 Accepted: 02-03-2026

INTRODUCTION

Acute pancreatitis arises from various

etiological factors, leading to acute injury of

pancreatic tissues, edema, hemorrhage, and

necrosis, to name just a few 1. It is an auto-

digestive disease of pancreatic tissue caused

by the abnormal activation of pancreatic en-

zymes and may lead to dysfunction of other

organs 2.

Acute pancreatitis usually occurs in

adults, with an incidence of 5/100,000 to

30/100,000 per year. The incidence appears

to be rising each year. In China, the leading

cause of acute pancreatitis is cholelithiasis,

with hypertriglyceridemia and excessive al-

cohol consumption as the next most com-

mon causes 3. Early control of the underly-

ing cause can help alleviate the condition,

improve prognosis, and prevent recurrence

Efficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis 191

Vol. 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026

of acute pancreatitis 4. Based on severity,

acute pancreatitis is classified into three

types: mild, moderately severe, and severe.

According to pathology, it can be catego-

rized as interstitial edema type and necrosis

type 5. Acute pancreatitis may lead to func-

tional impairment of one or more organs,

with respiratory and renal impairment being

the most common 6. In patients with acute

pancreatitis, elevated serum amylase (AMY)

and lipase (LPS) levels are commonly ob-

served on laboratory testing 6.Originally iso-

lated from hypothalamic extracts of pigs and

sheep, somatostatin has a short biological

half-life of approximately 3 minutes, which

limits its duration of action in clinical thera-

py 7. Common somatostatin analogs include

somatostatin tetradecapeptide and octapep-

tide. Like somatostatin, somatostatin ana-

logs effectively inhibit pancreatic enzyme

secretion. However, unlike somatostatin,

somatostatin analogs have a longer half-life,

and their effects last for a relatively long

time 8. The specific mechanism of action is

that, after medication use, somatostatin and

its analogs, as the active ingredients, bind

to somatostatin receptors on the patient’s

pancreatic cell surface 9, which weakens the

pancreas’s exocrine function, interferes with

the release of acetylcholine, and downregu-

lates adenosine release and the activity level

of adenylyl cyclase. These effects can help

reduce pancreatic duct pressure, inhibit the

infiltration of pancreatic fluid into pancre-

atic tissues, and thereby reduce pancreatic

auto-digestive function. In the early stages

of the condition, patients’ platelet levels are

abnormally low, but platelet activity is mark-

edly elevated. Treatment with somatostatin

or somatostatin analogs can effectively re-

duce the patient’s platelet activity level and

block the abnormal release of platelet-acti-

vating factors 10. Abnormal release of plate-

let-activating factors thus exacerbates the

systemic inflammatory response in patients

and blocks their disease progression10.Oc-

treotide is a widely used somatostatin ana-

log that can significantly reduce the release

of growth hormone and pancreatic enzymes,

fully relax Oddi’s sphincter of the biliary

tract, reduce pancreatic duct pressure, pre-

vent pancreatic juice reflux, control pancre-

atic self-digestion, reduce the secretion of

pro-inflammatory factors, and thus alleviate

the body’s inflammatory response 11. Oc-

treotide is a cyclic octapeptide with greater

physiological activity. It can inhibit the ab-

normal release of growth hormone and thy-

rotropin and reduce the release of gastric

acid, glucagon, insulin, and pancreatic en-

zymes, thereby controlling gastrointestinal

and pancreatic endocrine hormone pathol-

ogy and ultimately inhibiting abnormal se-

cretion in the intestinal tract.

In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of

octreotide and somatostatin was compared

in patients with acute pancreatitis, primar-

ily using inflammatory markers such as AMY,

LPS, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6

(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), white

blood cell count (WBC), and serum albumin

(ALB), along with procalcitonin (PCT) and

hospital stay duration for a comprehensive

efficacy analysis. The aim was to compare

the effects of octreotide and somatostatin in

treating acute pancreatitis, to develop a more

effective and personalized treatment plan for

patients with acute pancreatitis, and to ad-

vance the discipline and contribute to the

dual value of theory and practice.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

General information

This study retrospectively selected pa-

tients with acute pancreatitis admitted to

The First People’s Hospital of Jiashan from

January 2022 to December 2024 as the re-

search subjects, aiming to compare the ef-

ficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in

treating acute pancreatitis. As shown in the

experimental design flowchart in Fig. 1, a

total of 132 cases were collected. After ex-

clusions, 126 cases were included. Of these,

two were lost, and four withdrew for personal

reasons, leaving 120 cases for analysis.

192 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

Fig. 1. Flowchart of experimental design.

These were divided into control and ex-

perimental groups based on treatment mo-

dality, with 60 cases in each group. Inclusion

criteria: (1) patients with acute pancreatitis

were diagnosed according to the Chinese

Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute

Pancreatitis in China (2021 Edition) 12, pub-

lished by the Chinese Journal of Practical Sur-

gery and written by the Pancreatic Surgery

Group of the Surgical Branch of the Chinese

Medical Association; (2) no other gastrointes-

tinal or oncological diseases; (3) no history

of allergy to the study drugs; (4) age 35-65

years; (5) complete clinical data and relevant

examinations. Exclusion criteria 13: (1) those

with speech, mental, or psychological disor-

ders that affect the smooth conduct of the

study; (2) those with other digestive system

malignant tumors; (3) patients with serious

heart, liver, kidney, and lung problems; (4)

female patients during pregnancy or breast-

feeding; (5) a history of relevant drug treat-

ment in the last four weeks; (6) those with

serious infectious diseases.

Ethics statement

The clinical study followed the Decla-

ration of Helsinki and other relevant ethi-

cal regulations, was reviewed and approved

by the Hospital Ethics Committee, and the

purpose, process, and potential risks of the

study were explained in detail to the subjects

or their proxies, with written informed con-

sent obtained.

Mode of intervention

Both groups of patients received con-

ventional treatment for acute pancreatitis.

In practice, patients first underwent gastro-

intestinal decompression and fasting. Most

patients had pain and required analgesic

intervention as needed. Patients’ basic vital

signs were monitored to ensure that their

water and electrolyte balance was main-

tained, and acid suppression and anti-infec-

tion treatment were provided. Meanwhile,

patients received nutritional support based

on their physical signs to support recovery,

reduce symptoms, and prevent complica-

tions.

Efficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis 193

Vol. 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026

Patients in the control group received

somatostatin as part of conventional treat-

ment to inhibit pancreatic fluid secretion,

administered by injection (trade name Si-

tanin, Laboratoires Serono S.A., H20090930,

lyophilized powder, 250 μg). 250 μg of so-

matostatin was added to 500 mL of physi-

ological saline, and the solution was infused

intravenously. For patient 14, the infusion was

delivered at 250 μg per hour, twice daily for

7 consecutive days.

Patients in the experimental group re-

ceived octreotide, in addition to conventional

treatment, to inhibit pancreatic fluid secre-

tion. Octreotide acetate (trade name Zenith,

Novartis AG, Switzerland, H20090948), a col-

orless, clear liquid (1 mL: 0.1 mg), was used.

It was diluted with 250 mL of saline injection

and administered via intravenous drip at 0.3

mg every 12 hours. The patients were medi-

cated for 7 consecutive days 15.

At the same time as administering

drug treatment to patients, it was necessary

to pay rigorous attention to the patient’s

respiratory status and blood pressure fluc-

tuations, to observe whether there were any

adverse reactions to the medication, and

to actively prevent them, to avoid patients

from experiencing shock and other adverse

reactions, and to ensure the patient’s life

safety.

Observation indicators

AMY, serum LPS, CRP, and ALB

Procoagulant tubes were used to collect

5 mL of venous blood from patients on an

empty stomach as test samples. After cen-

trifugation for 10 min at 3000 r/min using

a Beckman Microfuge® 20R centrifuge, the

serum was separated and measured using a

Beckman Counter DXC800 automatic blood

biochemistry analyzer.

IL-6, TNF-α, and PCT

The serum was collected as described

above, and the enzyme-linked immunosor-

bent assay (ELISA) was used to detect IL-

6, TNF-α, and PCT 16 in the serum using the

ELISA kits Beyotime PI330/PT518/PP790

from Shanghai Beyotime Biotechnology Co.

WBC count

A routine blood tube was used to col-

lect 5 mL of fasting venous blood from the

patients as a test sample, and a Beckman Vi-

CELL BLU fully automated cell counter was

used to perform the WBC count.

Hospital stay duration

Hospital stay duration is the total

length of time a patient is hospitalized and

an important indicator of the patient’s con-

dition and treatment effect 17.

Determine the admission time: the

time when the patient completes admission

procedures and officially becomes an inpa-

tient.

Determine the discharge time: the

point in time when the patient completes

treatment and the nurse carries out the dis-

charge instructions. The patient is consid-

ered to have completed treatment when the

patient’s condition is stable, with no obvious

worsening symptoms, and vital signs are nor-

mal.

Calculate the total number of days:

Subtract the discharge date from the admis-

sion date. The resulting number of days will

be the total number of days in the hospital.

Attention to special circumstances: if

there were cases such as a leave of absence

or a temporary transfer, the calculation of

hospitalization time should be adjusted ac-

cordingly.

Incidence rate of adverse reactions during

treatment

The incidence rate of adverse drug re-

actions is the most important indicator for

assessing drug safety and is used to measure

the occurrence of adverse reactions during

drug use. Calculating the incidence of ad-

verse drug reactions can help doctors and

patients better understand drug safety and

make rational treatment decisions based

on the risk of such reactions. In this study,

194 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

adverse conditions during the treatment of

acute pancreatitis with somatostatin and

octreotide mainly included abdominal pain,

rash, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness

and headache 18.

The formula for calculating the inci-

dence of adverse drug reactions is shown

below:

Incidence of adverse reactions = (num-

ber of people with adverse reactions/total

number of patients using the drug) * 100%

Sample size calculation methods

Sample sizes were determined using

G*Power 3.1.9.7 to estimate the number

needed to detect statistically significant

differences. The calculation was based on

the primary outcome, the Inflammation

Indicator. According to previous studies 14,

IL-6 levels in patients with acute pancre-

atitis treated with somatostatin for 7 days

were lower than in the healthy control group

(p=0.025), with an effect size of 0.49. With

a type I error rate (α) of 0.05 and 80% power,

53 patients were estimated to be needed in

each group. To account for potential uncer-

tainties, a total of 60 patients in the control

group (n=60) and 60 in the experimental

group (n=60) were ultimately selected for

analysis in this study, and this sample size

was considered sufficient to draw reliable

conclusions.

Statistical Methods

SPSS version 28.0 was used to analyze

the data. The data in this study were tested

for normality. Baseline characteristics were

described as counts and means (± SD). AMY,

LPS, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, WBC, ALB, PCT, and

hospital stay duration were expressed as

means ± SD. An independent-samples test

was used to compare two groups. The in-

cidence of adverse events was expressed as

[n (%)], and comparisons between the two

groups were analyzed using the χ² test. All

statistical tests were two-sided, and p<0.05

was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Comparison of baseline data between

the two groups

Comparing the baseline data of the

patients in the control and experimental

groups, Table 1 provided evidence that no sig-

nificant differences were observed between

the two groups in age, BMI, gender, clas-

sification of acute pancreatitis, APACHE II

scores, disease duration, and etiology of the

disease 16, 19 (p=0.816, 0.662, 0.36, 0.714,

0.896, 0.504, 0.559, 0.609, 0.793, 0.697),

indicating that the groups were comparable

before drug treatment.

Comparison of serum amylase and serum

lipase between the two groups

As shown in Table 2, no significant dif-

ference was observed between the control

and experimental groups in serum AMY

and LPS levels on the day prior to dos-

ing (AMY: 95% CI: -2.57-10.23, p=0.239;

LPS: 95% CI: -2.78-12.17, p=0.216). After

seven days of drug administration, these

indices were significantly reduced in

both groups (both p<0.05). In addition,

compared with the control group (AMY:

44.85±8.17 U/L; LPS: 42.48±6.99 U/L),

the experimental group (AMY: 42.15±5.87

U/L; LPS: 39.80±5.10 U/L) showed sig-

nificantly lower levels (AMY: 95% CI: 0.13-

5.28, p=0.04; LPS: 95% CI: 0.47-4.90,

p=0.018), suggesting that, compared with

somatostatin, octreotide can restore pan-

creatic function to normal more quickly in

patients with acute pancreatitis.

Comparison of CRP between the two

groups

As shown in Table 3, no significant dif-

ference in serum CRP levels was observed

between the two groups on the first day of

drug administration (95% CI: -3.50 to 5.01,

p=0.726). After seven days of administration,

CRP decreased in both the control and ex-

perimental groups (167.25±11.62 mg/L vs.

Efficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis 195

Vol. 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026

Table 1. Baseline information of patients.

Indicator Control

group (n=60)

Experimental

group (n=60)

95% CI

pEffect

size

Lower Upper

Age 50.58±9.03 50.2±8.96 -2.87 3.64 0.816 0.02

BMI(kg/m2)22.62±1.7 22.76±1.80 -0.77 0.49 0.662 -0.04

Gender

Male 35 30

0.681 2.878 0.36 0.084

Female 25 30

Classification

of Acute Pancreatitis

Mild 33 31

0.558 2.344 0.714 0.033

Severe 27 29

APACHE II scores 19.47±2.33 19.52±1.8 -0.80 0.70 0.896 -0.01

Disease duration

(hours) 6.37±0.31 6.33±0.34 -0.08 0.16 0.504 0.06

Etiology

Biliary 42 39 0.584 2.702 0.559 0.053

Alcoholic 8 10 0.281 2.107 0.609 -0.047

Hyperlipidemia 9 8 0.41 3.206 0.793 0.024

Other 3 4 0.158 3.443 0.697 -0.036

BMI: body mass index; APACHE II scores: acute physical and chronic health scores. Independent Samples t-test was

used for continuous variables, and Chi-square Test was used for categorical variables.

Table 2. Comparison of serum amylase and serum lipase between the two groups.

Indicator n Time

Mean±SD 95% CI

pEffect

size

Control

group

Experimental

group Lower Upper

AMY

(U/L)

60 1 day prior

to dosing 261.53±17.59 257.70±17.83 -2.57 10.23 0.239 0.11

60 7 days after

dosing 44.85±8.17* 42.15±5.87* 0.13 5.28 0.04 0.19

LPS

(U/L)

60 1 day prior

to dosing 260.06±22.08 255.37±19.16 -2.78 12.17 0.216 0.11

60 7 days after

dosing 42.48±6.99* 39.80±5.10* 0.47 4.90 0.018 0.21

*p<0.05 vs 1 day prior to dosing. AMY: serum amylase; LPS: serum lipase. Independent Samples t-test was used for

between-group comparisons, and Paired Samples t-test was used for within-group comparisons.

196 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

Table 3. Comparison of C-reactive protein between the two groups of patients.

Indicator n Time

Mean±SD 95% CI

pEffect

size

Control group Experimental

group Lower Upper

CRP (mg/L) 60 1 day prior

to dosing

167.25±11.62 166.50±11.92 -3.50 5.01 0.726 0.03

60 7 days after

dosing

83.24±5.32* 80.34±7.4* 0.56 5.23 0.015 0.22

*p<0.05 vs 1 day prior to dosing. CRP: C-reactive protein. Independent Samples t-test was used for comparisons

between groups, and Paired Samples t-test was used for comparisons within groups.

83.24±5.32 mg/L, p<0.05; 166.50±11.92

mg/L vs. 80.34±7.4 mg/L, p<0.05), indi-

cating that both somatostatin and octreo-

tide can reduce inflammation in patients

with acute pancreatitis. Compared with the

control group (83.24±5.32 mg/L), CRP

was significantly lower in the experimental

group (80.34±7.4 mg/L) (95% CI: 0.56-5.23,

p=0.015), suggesting that, compared with

somatostatin, octreotide could normalize in-

flammation and tissue damage more quickly

in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Comparison of IL-6, TNF-α, and PCT

between the two groups

As shown in Table 4, there was no signif-

icant difference in the levels of IL-6, TNF-α,

and PCT between the two groups on the first

day before drug administration (p=0.222,

P=0.392, p=0.546). After drug administra-

tion, the levels of these three markers de-

creased in both groups (all p<0.05). In addi-

tion, compared with the control group, the

experimental group had lower levels of IL-6

(52.30±8.42 pg/mL vs. 55.36±8.03 pg/mL),

TNF-α (40.07±5.74 ng/L vs. 42.71±7.66

ng/L), and PCT (33.80±4.70 ng/mL vs.

35.66±4.60 ng/mL), with 95% CIs of 0.08-

6.03 (p=0.044), 0.19-5.09 (p=0.035), and

0.17-3.54 (p=0.031), respectively, suggest-

ing that octreotide can normalize more

quickly the degree of inflammation and in-

fection in patients with acute pancreatitis

compared to somatostatin.

Comparison of white blood cells between

the two groups

As shown in Table 5, there was no sig-

nificant difference in WBC between the

two groups before drug administration

(95% CI: -0.45 to 0.08; p=0.174). After

drug administration, WBC decreased in

both the control and experimental groups

(13.76±1.39*109/L vs. 12.55±1.39*109/L,

p<0.05; 13.94±0.69*109/L vs. 11.94 ±

1.68*109/L, p<0.05), indicating that both

somatostatin and octreotide reduced leu-

kocyte counts. Compared with the control

group (12.55±1.39*109/L), the experi-

mental group’s WBC (11.94±1.68*109/L)

decreased significantly (95% CI: 0.06-1.17;

p=0.031), suggesting that, compared with

somatostatin, octreotide could normalize

infection and inflammatory responses in pa-

tients with acute pancreatitis more quickly.

Comparison of albumin between

the two groups

As shown in Table 6, there was no sig-

nificant difference in ALB levels between

the two patient groups before drug admin-

istration (95% CI: -0.57 to 0.18; p=0.31).

After drug administration, ALB levels in-

creased in both groups (25.23±1.12 g/L vs.

36.99±1.94 g/L, p<0.05; 25.43±0.95 g/L

vs. 38.47±5.12 g/L, p<0.05). Compared

with the control group, ALB levels increased

in the experimental group (36.99±1.94 g/L

vs. 38.47±5.12 g/L; 95% CI: -2.89 to 0.07;

Efficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis 197

Vol. 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026

Table 4. Comparison of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor- α, and procalcitonin

between the two patient groups.

Indicator n Time

Mean±SD 95% CI

pEffect

size

Control group Experimental

group Lower Upper

IL-6

(pg/mL)

60 1 day prior

to dosing

98.63±9.59 100.65±8.40 -5.28 1.24 0.222 -0.11

60 7 days after

dosing

55.36±8.03* 52.30±8.42* 0.08 6.03 0.044 0.18

TNF-α

(ng/L)

60 1 day prior

to dosing

81.61±8.94 80.23±8.71 -1.81 4.57 0.392 0.09

60 7 days after

dosing

42.71±7.66* 40.07±5.74* 0.19 5.09 0.035 0.30

PCT

(ng/mL)

60 1 day prior

to dosing

73.12±5.63 73.78±6.18 -2.79 1.48 0.546 -0.21

60 7 days after

dosing

35.66±4.60* 33.80±4.70* 0.17 3.54 0.031 0.35

*p<0.05 vs 1 day prior to dosing. IL-6: interleukin-6; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α; PCT: procalcitonin. Independent

samples t-test was used for between-group comparisons, and Paired Samples t-test was used for within-group comparisons.

Table 5. Comparison of white blood cells between the two groups of patients.

Indicator n Time

Mean±SD 95% CI

pEffect

size

Control group Experimental

group Lower Upper

WBC

(109/L)

60 1 day prior to

dosing

13.76±0.77 13.94±0.69 -0.45 0.08 0.174 -0.12

60 7 days after

dosing

12.55±1.39* 11.94±1.68* 0.06 1.17 0.031 0.19

*p<0.05 vs 1 day prior to dosing; WBC: white blood cells; Independent Samples t-test was used for between-group

comparisons, and Paired Samples t-test for within-group comparisons.

Table 6. Comparison of serum albumin between the two groups of patients.

Indicator n Time

Mean±SD 95% CI

pEffect

size

Control group Experimental

group Lower Upper

ALB (g/L) 60 1 day prior to

dosing

25.23±1.12 25.43±0.95 -0.57 0.18 0.31 -0.10

60 7 days after

dosing

36.99±1.94* 38.47±5.12* -2.89 -0.07 0.039 -0.19

*p<0.05 vs 1 day prior to dosing. ALB: serum albumin. Independent Samples t-test was used for between-group

comparisons, and Paired Samples t-test for within-group comparisons.

198 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

Table 7. Comparison of hospital stay duration between the two groups (days).

Indicator n Mean±SD 95% CI pEffect

size

Control group Experimental group Lower Upper

Hospital stay duration 60 11.03±1.30 10.38±1.46 0.15 1.15 0.011 0.23

An independent-samples t-test was used to compare groups.

Table 8. Comparison of incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups.

Indicator n (%) 95% CI pEffect size

Control group Experimental group Lower Upper

Abdominal pain 2 0

1.413 19.544 0.007 0.245

Skin rash 3 0

Nausea and vomiting 5 1

Dizziness and headache 3 2

Adverse reactions 13(21.7%) 3(5%)

Chi-square test was used to compare the groups.

p=0.031), suggesting that, compared with

somatostatin, octreotide could more quickly

normalize nutrition and osmotic pressure in

patients with acute pancreatitis.

Comparison of the hospital stay duration

of patients in two groups

As shown in Table 7, the hospital

stay duration for the control group was

(11.03±1.30) days, and for the experimen-

tal group it was (10.38±1.46) days. The

hospital stay duration for patients in the ex-

perimental group was evidently shorter than

that of the control group (95% CI: 0.15-1.15;

p=0.011), suggesting that, compared with

somatostatin, octreotide could help patients

with acute pancreatitis return to normal

more quickly, shorten hospitalization time,

and improve the quality of medical care.

Incidence of adverse reactions during

treatment in the two groups

As shown in Table 8, during hospital-

ization, the control group had two patients

with abdominal pain, three with skin rash-

es, five with nausea and vomiting, and three

with dizziness and headache, for an overall

adverse reaction incidence of 21.7%. In the

experimental group, one patient had nau-

sea and vomiting, and two had dizziness

and headache, for an adverse reaction in-

cidence of 5%. These results suggest that,

compared with somatostatin, octreotide for

the treatment of patients with acute pan-

creatitis had a significantly lower incidence

of adverse reactions (95% CI: 1.413-19.544;

p=0.008).

DISCUSSION

Acute pancreatitis is mainly divided into

two types: mild and severe. The mild type

is mainly manifested by pancreatic edema,

is mostly self-limiting, and usually resolves

within a few days, with complete recovery to

the pre-treatment state 20. In severe cases,

complications such as pancreatic hemor-

rhage, peritonitis, pancreatic necrosis, and

shock are common, posing a greater threat

to patients’ health. The prognosis of severe

acute pancreatitis is usually poor, with a high

mortality rate that can reach 10%-40%21. In

recent years, with the continuous improve-

ment of China’s medical treatment technol-

Efficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis 199

Vol. 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026

ogy, a variety of new drugs have appeared in

clinical practice, and their application has,

to a certain extent, reduced morbidity and

mortality in patients with severe acute pan-

creatitis, but some patients still die. The

occurrence of acute pancreatitis is mainly

due to the continuous release of pancreatic

enzymes in the body, influenced by a series

of intertwined factors, resulting in the acti-

vation of phospholipase A2, etc. Under the

influence of the inflammatory response, the

pancreas undergoes microcirculation abnor-

malities, accelerating pancreatic digestion,

destroying the normal blood supply, and

ultimately leading to pancreatic necrosis.

Niu et al.22 proposed that phospholipase D2

(PLD2) plays a crucial regulatory role. In the

medical management of patients with severe

acute pancreatitis, comprehensive therapeu-

tic approaches are typically used to reduce

pancreatic secretion, inhibit pancreatic en-

zyme synthesis, improve clinical signs, and

promote recovery.

AMY and LPS are two important labo-

ratory tests for acute pancreatitis 23; the

former is mainly due to the activation of

pancreatic amylase by trypsinogen in the

pancreas, which subsequently causes the

elevation of AMY, and the latter is due to

the activation of pancreatic lipase by lipas-

eogen in the pancreas; therefore, AMY and

LPS are the characteristic indicators for

the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Sun et

al.24, in a multicenter retrospective study,

suggested that both somatostatin and oc-

treotide could normalize serum AMY and

LPS in patients with acute pancreatitis, and

this article’s research showed that octreo-

tide could normalize pancreatic function

more quickly than somatostatin. CRP, an

acute-phase reactant synthesized by IL-

6-stimulated hepatocytes, is one of the pro-

teins mediating the inflammatory response

in acute pancreatitis. The inflammatory re-

sponse in acute pancreatitis and its concen-

tration can reflect the presence or absence

of inflammation and the intensity of the

response in the organism 25. TNF-α, mainly

produced by monocytes and macrophages,

can regulate immune function and enhance

anti-infection capacity, and the multiple-

organ damage caused by inflammation is

closely associated with TNF-α 26.

IL-6 plays an important role in the

proliferation and activation of lympho-

cytes, and can promote the synthesis of

CRP and the development of blood cells,

but its concentration is too high, which

can stimulate the granulocytes to release

a large number of oxygen-free radicals and

proteases, thus destroying the vascular en-

dothelium and the endothelial cells. How-

ever, its high concentration can stimulate

granulocytes to release large quantities of

oxygen-free radicals and proteases, there-

by destroying the vascular endothelium

and aggravating organ damage. During

inflammatory reactions, macrophages and

monocytes in the liver, lymphocytes and

endocrine cells in the lungs and intesti-

nal tissues can synthesize and secrete PCT

in response to bacterial endotoxin, TNF-α,

and IL-6; these substances work together,

leading to an apparent increase in the lev-

el of PCT in the blood circulation 27. The

present study suggests that, in patients

with acute pancreatitis, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α,

and PCT levels in the blood were reduced

more significantly in those treated with

octreotide than in those treated with so-

matostatin, indicating that octreotide can

normalize inflammatory responses and

immune functions. Mao et al. 28, in a mul-

ticenter retrospective study, validated so-

matostatin and octreotide as widely used

medications for acute pancreatitis and re-

ported octreotide’s superior therapeutic

effect, which is more attuned to the re-

sults of this study. When germs invade the

human body, leukocytes can pass through

the capillary wall by deformation, con-

centrate at the site of germ invasion, sur-

round and engulf the germs, and produce

an inflammatory reaction, resulting in a

higher leukocyte count than normal. ALB

unequivocally expands blood volume and

200 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

preserves plasma colloid osmotic pressure,

helps with blood transport and detoxifi-

cation of body organs 29, and, in human

metabolism, it can be used as a source of

nitrogen to provide nutrients to our body

tissues. Bhansali et al. 30 retrospectively

studied 131 patients with infected pan-

creatic necrosis, and the use of octreotide

increased the level of ALB, and reduced

surgical complications, from the perspec-

tive of this study, it acts out the similitude

to the results of the present study, in this

study, compared to somatostatin, the pa-

tients with acute pancreatitis treated with

octreotide had a significant reduction in

the number of leukocytes, a significant

increase in ALB, and a shorter hospital-

ization time, which suggests that octreo-

tide can bring the inflammatory response

and the osmotic pressure of the body in

patients with acute pancreatitis back to a

normal state more quickly.

In clinical practice, the most commonly

used drugs for treating patients with acute

pancreatitis are octreotide and somatosta-

tin, which have similar pharmacological ef-

fects; octreotide is a synthetic octapeptide.

When administered, octreotide mimics the

action of endogenous somatostatin, inhibit-

ing the release of inflammatory mediators

and suppressing the activation of mono-

nuclear phagocytes, thereby improving

patients’ hemodynamic status. In clinical

practice, because the application of octreo-

tide can inhibit a variety of enzymes in pan-

creatic tissue, it can not only control the

digestion of pancreatic protease on its own,

but also control and maintain the intestinal

micro-ecological balance of the patient to

avoid the generation of endotoxins, so as

to improve the patient’s intestinal environ-

ment, alleviate the patient’s symptoms of

abdominal pain and bloating, enhance the

patient’s intestinal and gastrointestinal

peristalsis, inhibit the activity of platelets31,

reduce bile reflux, ensuring patient comfort

and promoting patient recovery. In the case

of injectable somatostatin, this drug is syn-

thetic and belongs to the tetradecapeptide

class; it is distributed in the human body’s

peripheral and central nervous systems,

with higher concentrations in the gastro-

intestinal tract and the hypothalamus. So-

matostatin can inhibit gastrin secretion32,

and also inhibit gastric acid and pepsin

secretion, improve the internal secretion

function and external secretion function of

the pancreas, maintain balance and coor-

dination, thus reducing the inflammatory

response of the patient, and promoting the

recovery of the patient, but from the cur-

rent clinical situation, there are certain

adverse reactions in the application of this

drug, which adversely affects the safety of

the patient’s use of the drug 33, leading to

the limitation of the promotion of this drug

in the clinic. Octreotide has a stronger ef-

fect and a longer maintenance time, and it

can inhibit pancreatic enzymes and gastric

acid, thus reducing the amount of pancre-

atic secretion, improving the blood and

urine amylase levels of patients, promoting

the improvement of gastrointestinal diges-

tive function, and protecting the pancreatic

parenchymal cell membrane of patients, so

as to improve the effect of clinical applica-

tion and promote the recovery of patients.

Although studies have shown that, in

the treatment of acute pancreatitis, oc-

treotide with a specific treatment regimen

yields better therapeutic outcomes than so-

matostatin in controlling inflammation and

shortening hospital stay, these studies still

have the following limitations that may af-

fect the generalizability of the results and

their long-term application value: (1) this

study provides preliminary single-center ev-

idence comparing the efficacy of octreotide

and somatostatin in the treatment of acute

pancreatitis. However, limited by the inher-

ent defects of the single-center and retro-

spective design, it still has deficiencies in

external validity, bias control, and causal in-

ference. (2) Lack of clear evidence of surviv-

al benefit; this study did not analyze the im-

pact of octreotide on short-term mortality

Efficacy of octreotide and somatostatin in acute pancreatitis 201

Vol. 67(2): 189 - 204, 2026

or complication rate in patients with acute

pancreatitis 34. (3) For severe acute pan-

creatitis, although octreotide may inhibit

pancreatic juice secretion, there is current-

ly no clear evidence that it is effective in

blocking systemic inflammatory response

or progressive multiple organ failure35. (4)

The medication cycle of octreotide in this

study was only seven days, and its long-term

medication risks remain unclear. (5) The

localization of research data is insufficient,

and the classification of disease severity is

not clear. Future studies should adopt a

multi-center prospective cohort design, ex-

pand the sample size, include more abun-

dant confounding factors, conduct analy-

ses targeting severe subgroups, clarify the

details of drug use, and combine dynamic

inflammation index monitoring with long-

term follow-up data to further verify the

efficacy difference between octreotide and

somatostatin, so as to provide more reliable

evidence to support clinical medication.

In conclusion, octreotide in the thera-

py of the acute pancreatitis patients has a

better effect, which is conducive to the en-

hancement of the body’s immune function,

the improvement of the patient’s AMY and

LPS, the body’s inflammatory response, os-

molality returns to normal faster, shortens

the patient’s hospital stay, improves the

quality of medical care, and provides a sci-

entific basis for the optimization of clinical

therapeutic medication regimens.

Acknowledgment

None.

Funding

None.

ORCID ID of the authors

• Qunchao Zhu (QZ):

0009-0004-6987-6091

• Tian Jiang (TJ):

0009-0002-5083-5500

• Yan Li (YL):

0009-0002-4819-7941

• Sicong Jiang (SJ):

0000-0001-8974-6770

• Aifang Li (AL):

0009-0008-7880-6078

• Chendong Ma (CM):

0009-0003-3787-5468

Author’s contributions

QZ, CM: Developed and planned the

study, conducted experiments, and interpret-

ed the results. Edited and refined the man-

uscript, with a focus on critical intellectual

contributions. TJ, YL: Participated in collect-

ing, assessing, and interpreting the data. SJ,

AL: Made significant contributions to date

interpretation and manuscript preparation.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no financial con-

flicts of interest.

Consent to publish

The manuscript has not been published

previously and is not under consideration by

any other journal. All authors have approved

the content of the paper.

Consent to participate

We obtained a signed informed consent

form from every participant.

Ethic approval

This study was approved by the Ethics

Committee of The First People’s Hospital of

Jiashan.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of

this study are available from the correspond-

ing author, upon reasonable request.

202 Zhu et al.

Investigación Clínica 67(2): 2026

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