title: Effect of somatostatin on blood sugar, plasma growth hormone, and glucagon levels in diabetic children.
abstract: In nine children with clinically overt insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus the authors injected cyclic somatostatin (3 mug./kg. bolus, followed by infusion of 13 mug./kg. in 60 minutes) and measured blood glucose, plasma growth hormone, and glucagon concentrations throughout the infusion. The rapid administration produced no significant changes of these parameters. With the prolonged infusion there was a significant reduction of blood glucose from a mean of 148 +/- 19.7 to a mean of 88.5 +/- 18.1 mg./100 ml. (P less than 0.005) and of plasma glucagon from a basal mean of 33.3 +/- 2.4 to a minimum mean of 22.1 +/- 1.7 pg./ml. (P less than 0.01). There was a statistically significant correlation between the two parameters (0.01 less than P less than 0.05). Plasma GH values also diminished during the infusion, but the reduction was not statistically significant. These results show that somatostatin lowers blood glucose concentrations as a secondary effect of inhibition of glucagon secretion. Somatostatin is not suitable for therapy in diabetes. We speculate that a similar substance with a more prolonged and specific action on glucagon might prove of practical value in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D013004:Somatostatin; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005934:Glucagon