Effects of K+ and arginine on insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin release from the in vitro perfused rat pancreas.

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Rat pancreases were perfused in vitro for 5-min periods with K+ alone (8, 10, and 12 mM) or in the presence of arginine (10 mM). Alone, K+ caused bursts of insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin (SRIF) release; with arginine, it caused a burst of insulin and sustained SRIF release, but caused sustained suppression of glucagon. This suppression correlated better with SRIF than insulin release. Therefore, if a paracrine effect is responsible for the inhibition of glucagon secretion under these circumstances, SRIF is a more likely candidate than insulin.