Abstract
The effect of somatostatin on human gastric blood Row has been evaluated by endoscopic laser Doppler flowmetry. A bolus injection of 250 yg somatostatin intravenously caused a transitory decrease in the gastric blood flow of 40%. After continuous infusion of somatostatin for 1 h no change in the gastric microcirculation could be demonstrated in spite of significantly elevated somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in plasma. The results do not give evidence that stomatostatin has a possible beneficial effect in patients with gastric bleeding caused by a significant gastric blond flow reduction.