Somatostatin and serum gastrin in normal subjects and in patients with pernicious anaemia, chronic liver and renal disease

The effects of somatostatin (growth hormone release inhibiting hormone) on basal gastrin were studied in patients suffering from pernicious anemia and chronic renal and liver disease, and during sequential arginine/insulin stimulated gastrin release in normal subjects. When basal gastrin concentrations were normal (10-50 pg/ml) in controls and in patients who were in renal and liver failure, somatostatin had no effect on gastrin levels. Raised basal gastrin levels in pernicious anemia and in 2 cases of chronic renal disease, were significantly inhibited by somatostatin with a half life (T1/2) of 3-4 minutes. Arginine infusion caused an insignificant rise in serum gastrin which was unaffected by somatostatin, whereas insulin hypoglycemia significantly stimulated gastrin release, which was inhibited by somatostatin.