Effects of Elcatonin on Human Plasma Levels of Somatostatin and Motilin

Abstract

Elcatonin, used for treatment of hypercalcaemia, Paget's disease and osteoporosis, causes nausea, vomiting and certain gastrointestinal disorders. To determine whether these were because of altered levels of somatostatin and motilin, which are known as gastrointestinal regulatory peptides, the effects of elcatonin on plasma levels of such compounds were studied in five healthy volunteers. Elcatonin reached a peak plasma level at 30 min after a single intramuscular dose of elcatonin (20 int. units), and was found to be rapidly absorbed and distributed. Plasma concentrations of somatostatin significantly rose for 60 min, to approximately double control levels; those of motilin decreased for 90 min after the injection, as the total amount of these peptides released changed. In most volunteers, side-effects such as nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort occurred within 10 min of elcatonin administration. We conclude that there is a somatostatin-increasing and motilin-decreasing effect of peripherally administered elcatonin in humans, which could explain its side-effects, especially gastrointestinal disturbances.