【Abstract】ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effects of somatostatin analogue (SSTA) on the colonic carcinoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo and its possible mechanism. MethodsThe somatostatin receptor type Ⅱ (SSTR2) mRNA of colonic carcinoma cell line HCT116 was detected by using RTPCR and hybridization in situ. The effects of octreotide (Oct) or NC-8-12 (specific agonist of SSTR2 ) on the proliferation of HCT116 was measured with MTT after HCT116 stimulated by insulin or epidermal growth factor (EGF) and incubated with Oct or NC-8-12 simultaneously for 24 hours. The expression of cyclin D1 was detected with flow cytometry. The HCT116 were implanted in nude mice subcutaneously and treated with Oct or NC-8-12. The tumor volume and tumor weight were measured according to schedule. Results①SSTR2 mRNA was detected in HCT116 and the tumor implanted in nude mice; ②Insulin and EGF increased the proliferation of HCT116 significantly, and this proliferation could be inhibited by Oct and NC-8-12 partially; ③Insulin increased the Cyclin D1 expression of HCT116, its level decreased slightly when treated with Oct or NC-8-12 but not significantly (Pgt;0.05); ④The weight and volume of implanted tumor in nude mice treated with Oct or NC-8-12 showed no significant difference compared with the control group (Pgt;0.05). ConclusionBoth Oct and NC-8-12 could inhibit the proliferation of colonic carcinoma cell line HCT116 in vitro, which indicated that SSTR2 may mediated the inhibition. Oct and NC-8-12 have no effect on the growth of implanted HCT116 in nude mice in this experiment.