The effect of somatostatin, ulinastatin and Salvia miltiorrhiza on severe acute pancreatitis treatment.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of somatostatin, ulinastatin and Salvia miltiorrhiza for treatment of severe acute pancreatitis. METHODS: Three hundred six patients with severe acute pancreatitis were divided randomly into 5 groups: basic treatment, somatostatin, somatostatin + ulinastatin, somatostatin + S miltiorrhiza and somatostatin + ulinastatin + S miltiorrhiza. Amount of time for resolution of abdominal pain/distention, recovery to normal heart and respiratory rates, amylase and blood glucose levels, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 were analyzed and recorded for all 5 subgroups. RESULTS: Tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-6 levels on the fourth and seventh days, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores on the seventh day after treatment showed significant decrease in the somatostatin, somatostatin + ulinastatin, somatostatin + S miltiorrhiza and somatostatin + ulinastatin + S miltiorrhiza subgroups compared with the basic treatment subgroup. IL-10 levels on the fourth and seventh days were significantly improved in the somatostatin + ulinastatin, somatostatin + S miltiorrhiza and somatostatin + ulinastatin + S miltiorrhiza subgroups compared with the basic treatment subgroup. The incidences of pancreatic sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and mortality were lower in the somatostatin, somatostatin + ulinastatin, somatostatin + S miltiorrhiza and somatostatin + ulinastatin + S miltiorrhiza subgroups compared with the basic treatment subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Somatostatin is effective for the treatment of acute pancreatitis and both ulinastatin and S miltiorrhiza demonstrate improvement in therapeutic benefits.