Somatostatin release and plasma molecular somatostatin components in man.

The present paper describes a sensitive, precise and specific radioimmunoassay method for measurements of plasma somatostatin; significant rises in plasma somatostatin following a test meal, intraduodenal infusion of fat and HCl, and intravenous injection of insulin; and separation of immunoreactive plasma somatostatin into two components probably representing bound and free molecular forms of somatostatin both in fasting and postprandial human plasmas.