Somatostatin: abundance of immunoreactive hormone in rat stomach and pancreas

Growth hormone release inhibiting hormone (somatostatin), a hypothalamic peptide that inhibits the release of growth hormone and also the secretion of insulin, glucagon, and gastrin, was found in the rat stomach and pancreas in a concentration similar to that in the hypothalamus, as measured by radioimmunoassay. Somatostatin was also found in the duodenum and jejunum, but in a smaller concentration. Gel filtration of the extracts of the pancreas and stomach on Sephadex G 25 yielded two immunoreactive peaks, one corresponding in each case to the somatostatin tetradecapeptide. The hormone was not detected in other viscera or the ovaries. The results imply that somatostatin may be synthesized in the pancreas and the stomach in addition to the brain, and may be involved in local regulatory mechanisms for pancreatic and gastric secretion as well as secretion of growth hormone.