Plasma somatostatin increases during hypoglycaemia in insulin-dependent patients with and without B-cell function.

Responses of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) to hypoglycaemia were investigated in seven type 1 (insulin-dependent) patients with residual B-cell function, eight patients without B-cell function, and six healthy controls. A higher basal level of SLI was found in the group with B-cell function when compared with the group without B-cell function. The basal level in the normal subjects was in between the two diabetic groups. All the diabetics had a somatostatin response to hypoglycaemia which was independent of residual B-cell function and no different from that of normal subjects.