Dermorphin: an opioid peptide from amphibian skin which affects endocrine pancreatic function.

We examined the effect of intravenous injection of the amphibian skin opioid heptapeptide dermorphin on plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon and somatostatin in the rat. Dermorphin in doses ranging from 0.1 to 10 micrograms per animal did not affect plasma insulin or somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI). In contrast, the opiate peptide significantly stimulated plasma glucagon and decreased plasma glucose, both 10 and 30 min following injection. The results suggest an effect of dermorphin on the endocrine pancreas. Since dermorphin has been shown to be present in rat and porcine tissues, it may have a role in the regulation of glucose metabolism.