A temporal study of somatostatin secretion and its inhibitory effect in genetically diabetic mice (C57BL/KsJ-db/db).

Somatostatin (SRIF) acts as a physiological regulator of insulin and glucagon secretion. This study explored whether alterations in SRIF secretion and activity in perifused pancreas from spontaneously diabetic mice (C57BL/KsJ-db/db) could be correlated with hypersecretion of insulin by the beta-cells. SRIF release upon stimulation with 27.5 mM glucose was biphasic in controls, whereas a first phase peak was absent in 30-to 90-day-old diabetic mice (db/db). Twelve- to 28-day-old db/db mice showed two distinct patterns compared to controls: biphasic hypersecretion in the 12- to 20-day-old group compared to normal secretion in the 22- to 28-day-old group. Basal SRIF secretion showed a tendency to be elevated above controls in some of the db/db age groups, but the difference was not statistically significant. Insulin release from control pancreases was biphasic, whereas in db/db mice, basal hypersecretion, absence of the first peak, and second phase hypersecretion were observed. beta-Cell sensitivity to the inhibitory effect of SRIF was diminished in db/db mice aged 12-90 days. Diazoxide, on the contrary, inhibited insulin secretion from the pancreas of diabetic and normal mice to the same extent. The results suggest that altered secretion of and response to SRIF in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice might provide an explanation for the anomalies in insulin secretion in the first stages of this type of diabetic syndrome.