The effect of the somatostatin analogue lanreotide on the prevention of urethral strictures in a rabbit model.

We evaluated the effect of the somatostatin analogue lanreotide on the development of surgically induced experimental strictures in the anterior urethra of the male rabbit. A total of 74 male rabbits were randomly allocated into four groups. Lanreotide was administered to the rabbits in groups 2 and 4 from day 0 to 14. To create a stricture, a resection was made in the urethra of the rabbits in groups 3 and 4 on day 2. On day 30, all rabbits were examined with urethrography, impedance planimetry and either histology or for collagen content. Urethrography and impedance planimetry demonstrated a urethral stricture in all operated animals. No difference was found between the two stricture groups, regardless of lanreotide administration, with respect to luminal cross-sectional area (CSA), circumferential tension-strain relation, histology or collagen content. The CSA of the urethra of the normal controls treated with lanreotide was smaller than the CSA of the normal controls not treated with lanreotide, however, no difference was found in histology or collagen content. Lanreotide had no measurable effect on the development of a surgically induced stricture in the male rabbit anterior urethra, however, lanreotide seems to exert an inhibitory effect on the normal growth of the urethra.