title: Is glucagon important in stable insulin-dependent diabetics?
abstract: The role of glucagon has been evaluated in the everyday regulation of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Plasma concentrations of glucagon, growth hormone, cortisol, glucose, and free fatty acids and blood concentrations of glycerol, 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, alanine, pyruvate, and lactate were measured in 38 fasting diabetic subjects deprived of their usual morning dose of insulin. The measurements were repeated in 25 of these patients after a further 3 hours of insulin deprivation and in 6 patients again at 6 hours. There was no correlation between the initial fasting levels of plasma-glucagon and those of the other biochemical measurements including glucose and ketone bodies. Furthermore, no correlation was found between changes in these measurements and in plasma-glucagon over a period of 3 or 6 hours. These findings suggest that glucagon is unlikely to play a role of primary importance in blood-glucose homoeostasis or ketone-body metabolism in ambulant insulin-dependent diabetic patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000409:Alanine / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000097:blood; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007659:Ketones / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D007659:Ketones; D007773:Lactates; D011773:Pyruvates; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005934:Glucagon; D000409:Alanine; D005990:Glycerol; D006854:Hydrocortisone