Increased somatostatin response to glucagon in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

The dynamic study of somatostatin secretion was performed in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and age- and sex matched volunteers. The basal levels of immunoreactive somatostatin, as well as its response to i.v. Glucagon (1 mg) at 10 and 20 min with consequent hyperglycemia were increased in most of diabetic patients as compared with the healthy controls. Our results suggest that the glucagon test could be used for estimating the somatostatin secretion in diabetes mellitus. This would reveal some impaired interactions between the endocrine function of the pancreas in diabetes mellitus.