Abstract
Summary
We studied the effect of soma-tostatin on various metabolic parameters in the fasted intact rat and in the eviscerated rat with a functional liver. In the fasted intact animal, high doses of somatostatin produced an elevation of blood glucose and ketone bodies together with a decrease in plasma FFA, total and esterified cholesterol, and urea nitrogen. We have postulated, therefore, that high levels of somatostatin (100 μg) may cause a functional endocrine pancreatectomy in normal rats. The metabolic consequences are due more to the insulin deficit than the lowered glucagon levels. Somatostatin had no effect on any of the parameters measured in eviscerated rats. We concluded that somatostatin has no extrapancreatic metabolic effects in this model.
We gratefully acknolwedge the constructive advice of Dr. John Gerich as well as his kind gift of somatostatin.
This study was supported in part by USPHS Grant No. AM 16342-02.
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