Somatostatin
Somatostatin is a hormone found in the human body. It is secreted by both the cells of the hypothalamus and the delta cells of the stomach, intestine, and pancreas. Somatostatin is composed of two peptides, one built of 14 amino acids and the other of 28 amino acids. It is classified as a peptide hormone.
Secretion and Production
Somatostatin is produced in and secreted by both the cells of the hypothalamus and the delta cells of the stomach, intestine, and pancreas. It acts as an inhibitory hormone. Its primary actions are to inhibit the release of the many hormones, including somatotropin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, gastrin, cholecystokinin, secretin, motilin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, gastric inhibitory peptide, enteroglucagon, insulin, and glucagon. Additionally, somatostatin lowers the rate of gastric emptying, reduces smooth muscle contractions and blood flow within the intestine, and suppresses the exocrine secretory action of the pancreas.
Pharmacological Uses
As a hormone, somatostatin opposes the effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone. Therefore, synthetic somatostatin is commonly used as a treatment for acromegaly, a disease in which excess production and secretion of growth hormone causes extended and disproportionate characteristics. Other uses of the somatostatin drug are for excess diarrhea associated with carcinoid syndrome, treatment of diarrhea in patients with vasoactive intestinal-peptide secreting tumors, and severe, refractory diarrhea from other causes. Additionally, it is used in Toxicology for the treatment of prolonged, recurrent hypoglycemia after sulfonylurea overdose.