Somatostatin plasma levels and biological effects following subcutaneous administration of somatostatin in man

Abstract

Abstract. The rate at which somatostatin appears in the circulation after subcutaneous bolus injection and continuous administration by pump was determined in normal subjects by serial radioimmunoassays of immunoreactive somatostatin. Following a single subcutaneous injection of 250 μg, the somatostatin peak in plasma appeared after 5 min and had only a transient effect on insulin levels. During continuous administration, somatostatin reached levels able to reduce significantly insulin and glucagon. Somatostatin plasma levels exerting biological effects were observed during the subcutaneous administration of the peptide.