Hyperglucagonemia and its suppression. Importance in the metabolic control of diabetes.
The role of glucagon in diabetes was studied in four patients with juvenile-type diabetes during continuous insulin infusion and a diet containing 150 g per day of carbohydrate. During insulin alone, plasma glucagon, measured at two-hour intervals, averaged 182 +/- 34 pg per milliliter, glucose 269 +/- 11 mg per deciliter, glucose excretion 52 +/- 8 g per 24 hours, ketone excretion 1.3 +/- 0.3 mmol per 24 hours, and urea nitrogen 12 +/- 2 g per 24 hours (mean +/- S.E.M.). Somatostatin (2 mg per day) lowered glucagon to 60 +/- 13 pg per milliliter, glucose to 111 +/- 17 mg per deciliter, glucose excretion to 1 +/- 0.7 g per 24 hours, ketone excretion to 0.5 +/- 0.2 mmol per 24 hours and urea nitrogen excretion to 8 +/- 2 g per 24 hours. Replacement of glucagon raised glucagon to 272 +/- 30 pg per milliliter, glucose to 202 +/- 20 mg per deciliter, glucose excretion to 14 +/- 7 g per 24 hours, ketone excretion to 0.8 mmol per 24 hours and urea nitrogen excretion to 11 +/- 2 g per 24 hours. In a subsequent study, similar improvement occurred on a diet of 30 g of carbohydrate daily, when absorption of dietary glucose was negligible. Hyperglucagonemia has an important role in diabetes; its correction reduces diabetic abnormalities to or toward normal.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D005934:Glucagon / Q000097:blood*; D006029:Glycosuria / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D013004:Somatostatin; D005934:Glucagon