Somatostatin. Its possible role in carbohydrate homeostasis and the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Somatostatin, a peptide inhibitor of growth hormone release originally isolated from the hypothalamus, is also present in D cells of pancreatic islets. Its ability to inhibit the secretion of insulin and glucagon suggests that it may be a local regulator of pancreatic .alpha.- and .beta.-cell function. Studies using synthetic somatostatin provided evidence that glucagon is a physiologically important hormone that exacerbates the consequences of insulin deficiency in human diabetes mellitus. The ability of somatostatin to diminish both fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia and to forestall the development of ketoacidosis after withdrawal of insulin in insulin-dependent diabetics suggests a potential therapeutic use of this agent in diabetes. Presently, its short half-life and diverse actions preclude such use and have prompted the search for more specific and longer-acting analogs.