Changes in Somatostatin Concentration in Pancreas and Other Tissues of Streptozotocin Diabetic Rats*

Changes in immunoreactive somatostatin were examined in islets, whole pancreas, stomach, and hypothalamus of streptozotocin-diabetic rats. There was no change in islet somatostatin content at 2 days after the administration of streptozotocin, but thereafter, somatostatin progressively increased in the diabetic animals by 45% at 2 weeks, 230% at 6 weeks, and 500% by 6 months. By contrast, islet glucagon rose acutely and maintained a constant 2-fold elevation irrespective of the duration of the diabetes. Morphometric analysis of the somatostatin- and glucagon-producing cells in the islets revealed an apparent augmentation of both cell types. The concentration of somatostatin per total pancreas was also increased in the diabetic animals, suggesting that the islet increase was part of a true increase in pancreatic somatostatin. Pancreatic glucagon was unchanged despite the islet increase. The increase in pancreatic somatostatin was paralleled by an elevation in gastric somatostatin concentration, implying a common mechanism in response to streptozotocin for the somatostatin cells in these two sites. There was no change in hypothalamic somatostatin concentration. Islet somatostatin was also increased in alloxan-diabetic rats. suggesting that streptozotocin does not stimulate the D cells directly.