Modulatory effect of glucose on VIP-induced gastric somatostatin release

The present study was designed to examine the effect of increasing perfusate glucose concentrations on vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-induced somatostatin (SLI) release from the isolated rat stomach. The stomach of overnight-fasted rats was perfused with Krebs-Ringer buffer containing 100, 150, or 200 mg/dl glucose, respectively. VIP was administered at 10(-12), 10(-11), 10(-9), and 10(-8) M. At a normal glucose concentration of 100 mg/dl, VIP at doses of 10(-12), 10(-11), and 10(-9) M elicited a small inhibitory effect on SLI release by 200-300 pg/min (P less than 0.01). As reported previously at 10(-8) M, VIP stimulated gastric SLI secretion by 500 pg/min (P less than 0.01). Increasing perfusate glucose to 150 mg/dl resulted in a stimulation of SLI release by all four concentrations of VIP with a maximal effect at 10(-9) M. During 200 mg/dl glucose, VIP had no effect in concentrations below 10(-9) M, and only the two highest doses (10(-9) and 10(-8) M) stimulated SLI release significantly. In the absence of VIP, glucose had no effect on gastric SLI release. In conclusion, the present data demonstrate for the first time that at normal glucose levels VIP has not only stimulatory but also inhibitory effects on gastric SLI, and second, a modest elevation of glucose has a modulatory effect on gastric D-cell function.