Effect of pancreastatin on pancreatic endocrine and exocrine secretion

Pancreastatin is a novel peptide that was recently purified from extracts of the porcine pancreas. The present study shows that pancreastatin (10(-9)-10(-8) M) can stimulate release of insulin from both the isolated perfused rat pancreas and from cultured rat islet cells in the presence of a low, non-insulinotropic concentration of glucose (4.2 mM). Pancreastatin (10(-9) M) can also inhibit release of insulin stimulated by a high concentration of glucose (16.7 mM). Pancreastatin, at 10(-8) M, can enhance glucose (8.3 mM) induced release of insulin in the static islet cell incubation. In addition, pancreastatin (10(-9)-10(-8) M) can inhibit, in a dose-dependent fashion, cholecystokinin (CCK)-8 stimulated release of amylase from dispersed guinea pig pancreatic acini. Pancreastatin alone, however, did not affect basal release of amylase. Our study shows that pancreastatin can exert a direct effect on both pancreatic endocrine and exocrine secretion.