A B S T R A C T The effects of the instillation of glucose, fat, casein hydrolysate, and HCI into the gastrointestinal tract upon plasma levels of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) in the venous effluent of the pancreas, fundus and antrum of the stomach, and in the inferior vena cava (IVC) were determined in normal laparotomized dogs. Fasting SLI levels in the effluent plasma from these sites were significantly greater than IVC levels. The intragastric administration of glucose elicited a prompt and significant rise in SLI levels in pancreatic, fundic and antral venous plasma, and in IVC plasma; intraduodenal glucose elicited smaller increments. After intragastric fat, a smaller, more gradual increase in the pancreatic and fundic effluents was observed, whereas the rise in antral SLI was minute, and IVC SLI did not rise significantly. Intraduodenal fat elicited a prompt increase in the pancreatic and antral vein SLI levels, and a small but significant increase in fundic and IVC plasma which suggests faster release of enteric factors that influence SLI secretion in the pancreas and antrum. Intragastric casein hydrolysate elicited a prompt increase in SLI in both the pancreatic and fundic veins, the latter being marked, but the antral SLI response was small; IVC