Release of immunoreactive somatostatin from hypothalamic cells in culture: inhibition by gamma-aminobutyric acid.

Primary cultures of dispersed hypothalamic cells were prepared from embryonic rats to study the release of immunoreactive somatostatin. The immunoreactive somatostatin content of these cultures increased during the first 2 weeks after plating and was readily measurable for several weeks thereafter; this material was characterized by gel permeation and reverse-phase chromatography. Depolarization of the cells with 60 mM K+ or with veratridine resulted in a calcium-dependent release of immunoreactive somatostatin which cochromatographed with synthetic somatostatin on reverse-phase chromatography. Tetrodotoxin blocked the veratridine-evoked release. However, even in the absence of exogenous stimuli, immunoreactive somatostatin was released by the cells into the medium. More than 70% of this tonic release was found to be calcium dependent and to be inhibited by tetrodotoxin, indicating that spontaneous electrical activity in the cultures leads to a release of immunoreactive somatostatin. gamma-Aminobutyric acid inhibited the tonic release of immunoreactive somatostatin and this was reversed by bicuculline. These findings support the hypothesis that gamma-aminobutyric acid inhibits somatostatin release in vivo.