Chapter category: Adhesion Molecules
Physiology of Somatostatin
Somatostatin Analogs in Diagnostics and Therapy
Edited by: Marek PawlikowskiISBN: 978-1-58706-223-0
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Chapter authors:
Marek Pawlikowski
Somatostatin (SST) was originally discovered as a hypothalamic peptide which inhibits growth hormone (GH) secretion from the pituitary gland. It appears in two molecular forms, composed from 14 or 28 amino-acid residues. Moreover, another family of peptides, called cortistatins (CST), was described. CST are encoded by a different gene, but they share partly the structure of SST and bind to SST receptors. The further studies revealed that SST is expressed not only in the hypothalamus, but is widely distributed in central and peripheral nervous systems as well as in nonneural peripheral tissues, mainly in the gut. SST is now known to exert the large spectrum of functions, mostly of inhibitory nature. It inhibits the secretion of hormones, like GH and thyrotropin (TSH), neuro-enterohormones like gastrin, cholecystokinin, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), motilin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptides (GLP), and exocrine secretions. SST modulates the functions of nervous and immune systems and exerts a direct antiproliferative effects on cell and tissue growth. Because of a very short half-life time (approx. 60 seconds) the therapeutic application of exogenous SST is limited. To pass by this obstacle, the long-acting analogs of SST were synthesized.
Additional chapters from this book:
Somatostatin Analogs—New Perspectives
Gabriela Melen-Mucha and Marek Pawlikowski
Acromegaly and so-called neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoids, pancreatic endocrine tumors) are at present the only routine indications for somatostatin (SST) analogs therapy. However, the progre...
The Treatment of Acromegaly with Somatostatin Analogs
Nuria Sucunza, Mª José Barahona and Susan M. Webb
Although transsphenoidal surgery of pituitary micro or macroadenomas is the treatment of choice in most acromegalic patients, somatostatin analogs are the first choice for medical treatment, eit...
Somatostatin Receptors: Distribution in Normal Tissues and Transduction Mechanisms
Gabriela Melen-Mucha and Slawomir Mucha
receptors belonging to the family of G protein coupled receptors. So far five SST receptor subtypes (sst1-5) have been cloned and characterized. The genes for these receptor subtypes are localized...
Somatostatin Receptors in Human Tumors: In Vitro Studies
Marek Pawlikowski
Neoplastic cells express and often even over-express the somatostatin receptors. It is important because the presence of sst receptors predicts—to some extent—the possibility of treatment with...
Physiology of Somatostatin
Marek Pawlikowski
Somatostatin (SST) was originally discovered as a hypothalamic peptide which inhibits growth hormone (GH) secretion from the pituitary gland. It appears in two molecular forms, composed from 14 ...
The Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors (NET) with Somatostatin Analogs
Beata Kos-Kudla
There is increasing interest in somatostatin (SST) analogs in the diagnosis and therapy of neuroendocrine tumors (NET), which constitute a heterogeneous group of neoplasms often associated with ...
Somatostatin Analogs: Lessons in Functional Complexity and Receptor Interactions
Michael D. Culler
Somatostatin (SST) was originally isolated from the hypothalamus as the key suppressor GH secretion, but is now known to be widely distributed throughout the body and to be involved in numerous ...
Radiolabeled Somatostatin Analogs in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Neuroendocrine Tumors
Leszek Królicki, Jolanta Kunikowska and Marianna I. Bak
The proof of the principle, that many tumors are characterized by a high expression of somatostatin receptors, has provided the background for the use of somatostatin analogs in the diagnostic process...
