Somatostatin (SRIF) is a putative peptide neurotransmitter that may interact with brain capillaries following neurosecretion of the peptide. The present studies investigate the binding and metabolism of SRIF analogues in isolated bovine brain microvessels. 125I-[Tyr1]SRIF was rapidly degraded by capillary aminopeptidase with a half-time of approximately 3 min at 23 degrees C. The microvessel aminopeptidase had a low affinity and high capacity for the peptide, Km = 76 microM and Vmax = 74 nmol min-1 mgp-1. 125I-[Tyr11]SRIF was converted to free iodotyrosine at a much slower rate, presumably by a lower-activity endopeptidase. 125I-[Try11]SRIF was rapidly bound by microvessels, whereas another basic peptide, [Tyr8]bradykinin, or an acidic peptide, CCK8, or a neutral peptide, leucine enkephalin, were bound to a considerably less extent. The binding of 125I-[Tyr11]SRIF to the capillaries was nonsaturable up to a concentration of 1 microgram/ml of unlabeled peptide, and the binding reaction was extremely rapid, reaching equilibrium within 5 s at either 0 degrees C or 37 degrees C. Approximately 20% of the SRIF bound by the microvessels was resistant to acid wash and presumably represented internalized peptide. In addition, the 125I-[Tyr11]SRIF bound rapidly to the endothelial cytoskeleton remaining after a 1% Triton X-100 extraction of the microvessels. The peptide-cytoskeletal binding reaction was nonsaturable up to 1 microgram/ml of unlabeled [Tyr11]SRIF, but it was inhibited by 0.5% polylysine or 0.8 M KCl and was stimulated by 1 mM dithiothreiotol. These studies suggest that brain microvessels rapidly sequester and degrade SRIF analogues and that this may represent one mechanism for rapid inactivation of the neuropeptides subsequent to neurosecretion.