The effects of somatostatin on the acute metabolic actions of insulin on newborn rat myoblasts in culture has been examined during monolayer culture. Somatostatin significantly inhibited the insulin-stimulated uptake of [3H]leucine and [3H]amino-isobutyric acid into myoblasts but had no effect on basal (unstimulated) uptake of these two substances. The lowest concentration of somatostatin to have a significant effect was 10 micrograms/l, and this was apparent in all the experiments undertaken. The inhibitory effect of somatostatin was seen at all effective concentrations of insulin used (0.3-1 U/l). These findings lend support to the concept of an endocrine role for somatostatin in vivo and suggest that a peripheral antagonism may exist between circulating insulin and somatostatin on anabolic processes such as nutrient uptake into cells.