Octreotide inhibits the secretion of interleukin-12 from mononuclear cells in human peripheral blood (PBMCs) in vitro.

Abstract

The functional interactions between endocrine and immune systems play a relevant role in many basic physiological and pathological events such as cell proliferation and angiogenesis [1] [2]. Angiogenesis is a process of blood capillaries development during normal tissue proliferation (wound healing, embryogenesis) as well as during infection, ischemia, and cancer diseases. In vivo, several angiogenic modulators have been recognized in human and other species’ peptide molecules, such as vascular endothelial growth factor [2], interleukin-8 [3], and interleukin-12 [4]. Therefore, chemists have designed a lot of angiogenesis inhibitors, but only some of them are useful in clinical practice [5]. Octreotide (Sandostatin, SMS 201-995) is one of the somatostatin analogs and has been clinically useful in oncology, endocrinology and hematology for its strong inhibitory activity on multiple cell type proliferation and hormonal secretory processes [6]. Antiproliferative and antiangiogenic properties of somatostatin or octreotide are a result of binding with specific receptors. The five subtypes of somatostatin receptors have been discovered (SRRT 1-5) and described [6] [7]. The presence of somatostatin receptors on immune cells (monocytes and lymphocytes) indicates that octreotide (OCT) may be one of the regulators of the immune cell function in humans [3] [8]. However, there is no data in literature about the effect of OCT on interleukin-12 (IL-12) secretion from immune cells in human peripheral blood.