Somatostatin antagonist analog increases GH, insulin, and glucagon release in the rat

We have utilized the relative structural simplicity of several short, cyclic, highly active somatostatin analogs in the search for competitive antagonists of somatostatin. During an attempted synthesis of cyclo(7-aminoheptanoyl-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr), catalytic hydrogenation of the protected peptide intermediate unexpectedly gave cyclo [7-aminoheptanoyl-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr(Bzl)] in which the benzyl protecting group on Thr could not be removed even upon prolonged treatment under standard conditions. Injection of this new peptide into the rat completely blocked the inhibitory effects of exogenous somatostatin on GH, insulin, and glucagon release. Indeed, in fasted rats, basal hepatic portal insulin and glucagon levels were significantly increased after analog treatment. Plasma GH levels in Nembutal-anesthetized and stimulated rats were also increased after injection of the analog. These results provide strong evidence that endogenous somatostatin exerts local tonic control of pituitary and pancreatic secretions. The availability of a somatostatin anatagonist should be of considerable value in elucidating the roles of somatostatin in these and many other physiological processes.