We have compared the metabolism of infused somatostatin 14 (SS14) and somatostatin 28 (SS 28) in anesthetized dogs. After iv infusion of either peptide, plasma SS-like immunoreactivity (SLI) coeluted from Bio-Gel P10 columns with the corresponding synthetic peptide marker. The hepatic extraction, renal extraction, MCR, and plasma half-life of plasma SLI and after SS28 infusion were 11.0 +/- 1.5%, 50 +/- 4.8%, 9.9 +/- 1.4 ml/kg.min, and 2.8 +/- 0.3 min, respectively. Corresponding values after SS14 infusion were 43.1 +/- 7.4%, 82.2 +/- 6.6%, 21.9 +/- 6.5 ml/kg.min, and 1.7 +/- 0.2 min. These differences between SS28 and SS14 were all statistically significant (P less than 0.05). When equimolar amounts of each peptide were given as bolus injections, both led to a significant reduction in portal venous blood flow. After the injection of SS14, the reduction in flow was short-lived and returned to baseline by 4 min. However, between 2-7.5 min after the injection of SS28, the reduction in blood flow was significantly greater than that induced by SS14, and returned to baseline only by 15 min. These studies indicate that the metabolism of plasma SLI is significantly slower during the steady state infusion of SS28 in pharmacological doses than after similar infusions of SS14. SS28 led to a more prolonged reduction in portal blood flow than SS14; this effect is probably due to its slowed metabolism. This suggests that further modification of the SS28 molecule may increase its therapeutic potential by slowing its in vivo metabolism.