An intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of pentagastrin (250 micrograms/kg, three times daily) for 1 week increased somatostatin like-immunoreactivity (SSLI) content in the pancreas and the number of somatostatin (SS) receptors in pancreatic acinar membranes without influencing their apparent affinity as compared with control animals. No significant differences were seen in basal or forskolin (FK)-stimulated adenylate cyclase (AC) enzyme activities in the control and pentagastrin treated rats. In spite of the increase in the number of SS receptors, SS caused a significantly lower inhibition in AC activity in these membranes. This finding is related to the fact that the stable GTP analogue, 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) was a much less potent inhibitor of binding in the pancreatic acinar cell membranes from pentagastrin-treated animals than in those from controls. In addition the ability of Gpp(NH)p to inhibit FK-stimulated AC activity was also decreased in pancreatic acinar cell membranes from pentagastrin-treated rats. Pretreatment with proglumide, (20 mg/kg i.p.) a gastrin/cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor antagonist, prevented the pentagastrin-induced changes in SS level and binding as well as the inhibitory effect of SS on AC activity in pancreatic acinar cell membranes. Proglumide alone had no observable effect on the somatostatinergic system. These data suggest a SS receptor/G protein uncoupling as a result of binding of pentagastrin to gastrin receptors present in pancreatic acinar cell membranes.