Somatostatin

Overview

The somatostatin peptide is distributed in many locations including the CNS, PNS, endocrine pancreas and the gut.

It exerts inhibitory effects on various organs and is involved in various physiological and pathophysiological processes.

Uses and applications

Somatostatin regulates endocrine, autocrine and paracrine function and controls secretion of various hormones (growth, pituitary, pancreatic and gastrointestinal hormones etc.).

It also acts as a neurotransmitter and is localized in a subset of interneurons. It is involved in synaptic plasticity, neuronal activity and memory formation. It acts both pre- and postsynaptically to affect excitability and neuronal responses.