Large-molecular-weight somatostatin in human adrenal medullary tissue

Three human catecholamine-secreting adrenal medullary tumours, identified as phaeochromocytoma, were found to contain 774, 168, and 78 pmol/g of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI), compared to 40 pmol/g in a sample of normal human adrenal medulla. Sephadex-G50 gel-filtration chromatography of extracts from these tissues revealed SLI eluting in the position of somatostatin-14, somatostatin-28, and a peak eluting with a mol. wt. of about 5 K. After digestion of eluted material with clostridiopeptidase B, the predominant form of adrenal medullary SLI was found to elute in the position of a 7-K polypeptide.