Montreal has had a longstanding interest in somatostatin. Two years ago when the final planning began for the International Con­ gress of Endocrinology in Quebec City in July 1984, we seized the op­ portunity for having a separate Satellite Symposium on somatostatin here in Montreal. We felt that after a decade of uniformly vigorous growth in somatostatin research, the opportune moment had arrived for a review of the most significant past developments and for setting the directions for the future. Knowing the futility of trying to cover every aspect of the burgeoning somatostatin field in a two day scientific program, we opted for a detailed analysis of selected areas which were reasonably mature and of areas of greatest new activity. To attain these objectives, 27 leading international experts actively involved in their fields were invited to present an indepth review of their work in one of five major categories of somatostatin research. Thirty minutes at the end of each session were assigned for a three way, comprehensive discussion of some of the core concepts between the session moderators, the panellists and the audience. The feedback that we have received from the particip­ ants leaves little doubt that the meeting was a scientific and social success. This book fulfills our final commitment towards the Meeting which was to record the proceedings in a timely publication.

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1. Expression of Anglerfish Preprosomatostatin Genes in Mammalian Cells: Studies on the Synthesis and Post-Translational Processing of Somatostatin Precursors.- 2. Somatostatins of the Channel Catfish.- 3. Biosynthesis of Rat Preprosomatostatin.- 4. Approaches to the Study of Somatostatin Biosynthesis.- 5. Somatostatin-14 Like Immunoreactive Forms in the Rat: Characterization, Distribution and Biosynthesis.- 6. Somatostatin-28[1-12]-Like Peptides.- 7. Proteolytic Events in the Post-Translational Processing of Somatostatin Precursors From Rat Brain Cortex and Anglerfish Pancreatic Islets.- 8. Post-Translational Processing of Anglerfish Islet Somatostatin Precursors.- 9. Anglerfish Pancreatic Islets Produce Two Forms of Somatostatin-28.- 10. Immunocytochemical Studies of Somatostatin Neurons in Brain.- 11. Somatostatin Secretion From the Hypothalamus.- 12. Somatostatin and the Cerebral Cortex.- 13. Central Nervous System Actions of Somatostatin-Related Peptides.- 14. Physiological Role of Somatostatin in Regulation of Pulsatile Growth Hormone Secretion.- 15. Somatostatin Alterations and Brain Diseases.- 16. Somatostatin Receptors.- 17. Mechanisms of Somatostatin Action in Pituitary Cells.- 18. Somatostatin Agonists and Antagonists - Peptide Control of Growth Hormone Secretion.- 19. Clinical Applications of Somatostatin Analogs.- 20. The Effects of Somatostatin and Selected Analogs on Lipid Absorption in Animals.- 21. Distribution and Morphology of Somatostatin Cells.- 22. Pancreatic Somatostatin.- 23. Role of Somatostatin in Nutrient Regulation.- 24. Regulation and Actions of Gastrointestinal Somatostatin.- 25. Intestinal Somatostatin Function.- 26. Somatostatin-Producing Tumors.- Summary and Conclusions.- Author Index.