Abstract
Somatostatin (somatotropin release inhibiting factor, SRIF) is the 14-amino acid polypeptide found to be the active growth hormone-release inhibiting factor in extracts of sheep hypothalamus1,2. Although found in highest concentrations in the hypothalamus, it is widely distributed in the gastrointestinal tract and extra-hypothalamic nervous system. In fact, the cerebral cortex contains a larger total amount of Somatostatin than any other brain region or visceral organ3. The source of somatostatin in extra-hypothalamic brain has been unclear. Initially, the hypothalamus was considered the only source, but elegant immunohistochemical demonstrations of positively staining neuronal perikarya in amygdala, hippocampus and neocortex suggested that these areas might be independent sources of Somatostatin4. In addition, bilateral anterior hypothalamic periventricular lesions reduced Somatostatin content in the median eminence to less than 10% of control levels, but did not affect its concentration in the preoptic area, amygdala or cortex5. Our laboratory has previously shown that dissociated rat cortical neurones in culture exhibit structural and electro-physiological properties similar to those of adult neurones in situ6. In conjunction with studies being carried out on the physiological effects of Somatostatin on these neurones, we investigated the occurrence of endogeneous IR-somatostatin. We show here that dissociated cell cultures from rat cerebral hemispheres in the absence of any hypothalamic tissue produce immunoreactive (IR)-somatostatin. This IR-somatostatin is demonstrable histochemically in an exclusively neuronal population within the cultures.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Krulich, L., Dharival, A. P. S. & McCann, S. M. Endocrinology 83, 783–790 (1968).
Brazeua, P. et al. Science 179, 77–79 (1973).
Patel, Y. C. & Reichlin, S. Endocinology 102, 523–530 (1978).
Elde, R. et al. Metabolism 27, 1151–1159 (1978).
Martin, J. B. et al. in The Hypothalamus (eds Reichlin, S., Baldessarini, R. J. & Martin, J. B.) 329–355 (Raven, New York, 1978).
Dichter, M. A. Brain Res. 149, 279–293 (1978).
Spiess, J. & Vale, W. Metabolism 27, 1175–1177 (1978).
Renaud, L. P., Martin, J. B. & Brazeau, P. Nature 255, 233–235 (1975).
Kórangi, L., Whitmoyer, D. I. & Sawyer, C. H. Expl Neurol. 57, 807–816 (1977).
Ioffe, S., Havilicek, V., Friesen, H. & Chernick, V. Fedn Proc. 36, 364 (1977).
Dodd, J. & Kelly, J. S. Nature 273, 674–675 (1978).
Iversen, L. L. et al. Nature 273, 161–163 (1978).
Berelowitz, M., Kronheim, S., Pimstone, B. & Sheppard, M. J. Neurochem. 31, 1537–1539 (1978).
Patel, Y. C., Zingg, H. H. & Dreifuss, J. J. Nature 267, 852–853 (1977).
Mudge, A. W., Fischbach, G. D. & Leeman, S. E. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. III, 410 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Delfs, J., Robbins, R., Connolly, J. et al. Somatostatin production by rat cerebral neurones in dissociated cell culture. Nature 283, 676–677 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283676a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/283676a0
This article is cited by
-
Suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 regulates neuronal differentiation by inhibiting growth hormone signaling
Nature Neuroscience (2002)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.