[High biological activity of the synthetic counterparts of hypothalamic somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-25].

We have isolated from extracts of ovine hypothalamus two molecules characterized as somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-4-28 (referred to as somatostatin-25). They were reproduced by synthesis. In equimolar ratios and depending upon the experimental conditions, synthetic somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-25 are 3 to 14 times more potent than somatostatin-14 to inhibit the basal in vitro secretion of growth hormone. These results suggest that somatostatin-14 as originally isolated, is a biologically active fragment of a larger molecule of greater specific activity, rather than somatostatin-28 being a precursor of the tetradecapeptide.