Normal development of cells with somatostatin immunoreactivity in the pancreas and duodenum of the rat fetus and newborn. Effect of hypophysectomy and intrauterine growth retardation.

Immunohistochemistry was employed to study the development of somatostatin-containing cells in the pancreas and duodenum of rat fetuses and of 1-7 day-old newborns. Immunoreactive cells were first detected in the pancreatic islets on day 17 of gestation and in the duodenum on day 18. Somatostatin cells were numerous in the pancreas and gut at term and in early postnatal stages. The development of somatostatin-containing cells in both pancreatic islets and duodenum was not affected by either fetal hypophysectomy on day 16 or intrauterine growth retardation induced by ligature of the main uterine vessels on day 17 of gestation.