Expression of Somatostatin Receptors in the Small Intestine during Postnatal Ontogenesis.

The expression of somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) of types 1, 2, and 5 was studied in the small intestine of rats from different age groups (1, 10, 20, 30, 60 days, and 2-year-old) using Western blotting. The expression of SSTR1, SSTR2, and SSTR5 increased in the first 30 days of life, but decreased in older rats compared to 2-month-old animals. These findings suggest that there is differential expression of SSTRs during age-related development of the small intestine. Further studies will determine the role of individual SSTRs in the growth and development of target organs.