[Studies on somatostatin mRNA expression in frontal cortex of diabetic rats model]

To study the changes of somatostatin (SST) in frontal cortex of the brain of quick streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats. We established the quick-diabetic rats model by injecting streptozotocin intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg and compared the changes of SST in frontal cortex of diabetic model with normal rats by using in situ hybridization and computer image analysis. The number, light density and the average area of positive cells in frontal cortex of diabetic model were reduced significantly in comparison with those of normal rats (P < 0.01). These results indicated that the decline of SST mRNA expression in frontal cortex may relate to chronic diabetes encephalopathy.