Somatostatin: Mechanism, Deficiency & Effects

Somatostatin is a hormone that can be found in the body. It is a cyclic peptide known for the strong regulatory effects it has in the body. 

• It plays an important function in different organs of our body such as the Hypothalamus, Pancreas, Gastrointestinal (GI) tract, Central nervous system (CNS) etc. 
• It is a kind of inhibiting hormones in the hypothalamus that prevents the release of the growth hormone from the pituitary gland. 
• It is used to treat the deficiency of somatostatin in several somatostatin analogues like Octreotide.

Key terms: Hypothalamus, Hormones, Pituitary, Pancreas, Central nervous system (CNS), Somatostatin Deficiency, Somatostatin Medication

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What is Somatostatin?

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Somatostatin is a growth inhibiting hormone in our body system. It plays important role in different organs of our body.

• It is produced in many locations in the body such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, pancreas, hypothalamus, and central nervous system (CNS).
• Somatostatin is a peptide hormone known to regulate the endocrine system, affecting neurotransmission and cell proliferation.
• It is through the interaction with G protein-coupled somatostatin receptors.
• It helps to regulates the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, preventing frequent reproduction of cells.

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Somatostatin Mechanisms of Action

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The chain of events that leads to the manifestation of the biological action are mentioned below: 

• Internalization is mediated by cytoskeletal proteins in the presence of calmodulin. 
• Inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation and blockade of cytosol calcium increases with the transduction of the somatostatin message at the membrane level.
• Somatostatin suppresses phosphoinositide turnover and stimulates soluble phosphodiesterase, thus reinforcing its negative effect on cyclase generation. 
• The influence of central and peripheral factors upon these processes is discussed and the importance of the Ni/Ns components is stressed.

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Somatostatin Deficiency

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The deficiency of Somatostatin will lead to a variety of problems, including too much secretion of growth hormone. This may lead to variety of diseases such as in case of children, the condition is called gigantism and where as in adults, it is called acromegaly.

• In a rare condition such as acromegaly where the body produces too much growth hormone, causing body tissues and bones to grow more quickly. 
• Over the time this will lead to abnormality in large hands and feet and various other symptoms. 
• Acromegaly is usually diagnosed in adults aged 30 to 50, and can also affect people of other ages.
• If this is untreated then high levels of growth hormone can affect other parts of the body, in addition to your bones. 
• This can also lead to serious problems — sometimes even life-threatening — health problems. 
• Acromegaly may cause gradual changes to your face shape, lower jaw and brow bone, enlarged nose, thick lips etc.

There are more symptoms leading to the deficiency of Somatostatin such as:

• Hands and feet getting enlarged
• Enlarged facial features, including the lips, nose, facial bones, and tongue
• thickened skin, or Coarse, or oily
• Excessive sweating and bad body odor
• Outgrowths of skin tissue (skin tags)
• Joint or muscle weakness with fatigue
• Pain and limited joint mobility
• Enlarged vocal cords and sinuses leading to deepened and husky voice
• Due to obstruction of the upper airway, there is severe snoring
• Vision problems
• Severe headaches, which may be persistent
• Irregularities in women menstrual cycle

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Somatostatin Medication

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The healthcare providers use a synthetic form of somatostatin to treat certain health conditions, that includes:

• Certain gastrointestinal diseases.
• Acromegaly (It is a rare disorder in adults wherein the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone).
• Neuroendocrine tumours (It is a condition in which the neuroendocrine cells develop into tumours).

Octreotide

These are the injection that is used to decrease the amount of growth hormone (a natural substance) produced by people with acromegaly (Excess of producing hormone) which cannot be treated with radiation, surgery or any other medication. 

• Octreotide injection are used to control diarrhea and flushing caused by carcinoid tumors. 
• It is also used for controlling acromegaly, carcinoid tumors, and VIP-omas in people who have been successfully treated with octreotide injection.
• These are usually injected 2 to 4 times a day. 
• These are the long-acting injections injected once every 4 weeks. It is always advisable to follow doctor’s prescription.

Octreotide injection will not cure the condition but it may control so it you must continue using the octreotide injection even if you feel well. Your symptoms may return, If you stop using octreotide injection.

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Effects of Somatostatin

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In Pancreas:

Somatostatin are produced by the D-cells of the stomach and duodenum. These are stimulated by the presence of glucose, amino acids and glucagon-like peptide-1. The primary role of Somatostatin in gastric physiology is to inhibit both gastrin release and parietal cell acid secretion.

In Gastrointestinal System: 

• Somatostatin in GE decreases gastrin release leading to reduced gastric acid.
• Increase fluid absorption
• Increase smooth muscle contraction
• Paracrine which is the inhibition of insulin and glucagon secretion from α and β-cells of the Islets of Langerhans
• Decrease bile flow
• Decrease blood glucose concentration

In Nervous System:

Somatostatins is produced in the brain and gastrointestinal tract. Hypothalamus is the producer of this neuropeptide. Somatostatin is a Growth Hormone (GH) inhibitor.

Read More: Peripheral Neural System

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Things to Remember

• Somatostatin are commonly known as growth hormone-inhibiting hormone.
• Somatostatin are generated in a variety of additional places such as gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the pancreas, and the central nervous system (CNS).
• These also have primarily neuroendocrine inhibitory effects in a variety of systems.
• Octreotide are injections used to decrease the amount of growth hormone.
• These are also known to suppress GI, endocrine, exocrine, pancreatic, and pituitary secretions.