Changes In Plasma Glucagon Research Articles

Fasting and Glucose-Stimulated Changes in Plasma Glucagon in Pancreatic Cancer: Potential Biomarkers for Detection?

Fasting and Glucose-Stimulated Changes in Plasma Glucagon in Pancreatic Cancer: Potential Biomarkers for Detection?

Management of hyperglycemia associated with pasireotide (SOM230): Healthy volunteer study

AimsPasireotide, a multireceptor-targeted somatostatin analogue with efficacy in Cushing's disease and acromegaly, can affect glucose metabolism due to inhibition of insulin secretion and incretin hormone responses. A study was therefore conducted to evaluate different antihyperglycemic drugs in the management of pasireotide-associated hyperglycemia. MethodsThis was a 1-week, Phase I, open-label study. Healthy male volunteers were randomized to pasireotide 600μg sc bid alone or co-administered with metformin 500mg po bid, nateglinide 60mg po tid, vildagliptin 50mg po bid, or liraglutide 0.6mg sc qd. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on days 1 and 7 to evaluate effects on serum insulin, plasma glucose and glucagon levels. Safety/tolerability and pharmacokinetic effects were also evaluated. ResultsNinety healthy male volunteers were enrolled (n=18 per arm). After 7 days of treatment, plasma glucose AUC post-OGTT increased by 69% with pasireotide alone. The effect was reduced by 13%, 29%, 45% and 72% with co-administration of metformin, nateglinide, vildagliptin and liraglutide, respectively. On day 7, compared with pasireotide alone, the decrease in serum insulin was attenuated with nateglinide, metformin, liraglutide and vildagliptin co-administration (levels were 3%, 6%, 34% and 71% higher, respectively). Minimal changes in plasma glucagon were observed. Adverse events were consistent with the safety profiles of the drugs used. ConclusionsVildagliptin and liraglutide were most effective in minimizing pasireotide-associated hyperglycemia in healthy volunteers.

Exogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 attenuates the glycaemic response to postpyloric nutrient infusion in critically ill patients with type-2 diabetes

IntroductionGlucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) attenuates the glycaemic response to small intestinal nutrient infusion in stress-induced hyperglycaemia and reduces fasting glucose concentrations in critically ill patients with type-2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute administration of GLP-1 on the glycaemic response to small intestinal nutrient infusion in critically ill patients with pre-existing type-2 diabetes.MethodsEleven critically ill mechanically-ventilated patients with known type-2 diabetes received intravenous infusions of GLP-1 (1.2 pmol/kg/minute) and placebo from t = 0 to 270 minutes on separate days in randomised double-blind fashion. Between t = 30 to 270 minutes a liquid nutrient was infused intraduodenally at a rate of 1 kcal/min via a naso-enteric catheter. Blood glucose, serum insulin and C-peptide, and plasma glucagon were measured. Data are mean ± SEM.ResultsGLP-1 attenuated the overall glycaemic response to nutrient (blood glucose AUC30-270 min: GLP-1 2,244 ± 184 vs. placebo 2,679 ± 233 mmol/l/minute; P = 0.02). Blood glucose was maintained at < 10 mmol/l in 6/11 patients when receiving GLP-1 and 4/11 with placebo. GLP-1 increased serum insulin at 270 minutes (GLP-1: 23.4 ± 6.7 vs. placebo: 16.4 ± 5.5 mU/l; P < 0.05), but had no effect on the change in plasma glucagon.ConclusionsExogenous GLP-1 in a dose of 1.2 pmol/kg/minute attenuates the glycaemic response to small intestinal nutrient in critically ill patients with type-2 diabetes. Given the modest magnitude of the reduction in glycaemia the effects of GLP-1 at higher doses and/or when administered in combination with insulin, warrant evaluation in this group.Trial registrationANZCTR:ACTRN12610000185066

Pharmacokinetics and metabolic effects of triamcinolone acetonide and their possible relationships to glucocorticoid-induced laminitis in horses.

Experiments were performed to establish the pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide and the effects of the glucocorticoid on glucose metabolism in horses. The pharmacokinetics after intravenous (i.v.) dosing was best described by a three-compartment open model. There was rapid distribution from the central compartment followed by two phases of elimination. The half-life of the rapid elimination phase was 83.5 min and of the slower phase was 12 h. The term (Vss/Vc)-1was 12.3 indicating extensive distribution into the tissues. Triamcinolone acetonide given i.v. or intramuscularly (i.m. ) induced a prolonged period of hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia. Significant changes in plasma glucagon and serum non-esterified fatty acids were not observed. These observations suggest that the hyperglycaemia was a result of decreased glucose utilization by tissues and increased gluconeogenesis. The effects on glucose metabolism persisted for 3-4 days after triamcinolone was given i.m. at 0.05 mg/kg, the upper limit of the recommended dose range, and for 8 days when given at 0. 2 mg/kg. These observations, together with recent evidence implicating inhibition of glucose metabolism in the pathogenesis of equine laminitis, indicated that triamcinolone-induced laminitis may be associated with the long duration of action of the glucocorticoid when higher than recommended doses or when repeated doses are given.

Pharmacokinetics and metabolic effects of triamcinolone acetonide and their possible relationships to glucocorticoid‐induced laminitis in horses

Experiments were performed to establish the pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide and the effects of the glucocorticoid on glucose metabolism in horses. The pharmacokinetics after intravenous (i.v.) dosing was best described by a three‐compartment open model. There was rapid distribution from the central compartment followed by two phases of elimination. The half‐life of the rapid elimination phase was 83.5 min and of the slower phase was 12 h. The term (Vss/Vc)−1was 12.3 indicating extensive distribution into the tissues. Triamcinolone acetonide given i.v. or intramuscularly (i.m.) induced a prolonged period of hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia. Significant changes in plasma glucagon and serum non‐esterified fatty acids were not observed. These observations suggest that the hyperglycaemia was a result of decreased glucose utilization by tissues and increased gluconeogenesis. The effects on glucose metabolism persisted for 3–4 days after triamcinolone was given i.m. at 0.05 mg/kg, the upper limit of the recommended dose range, and for 8 days when given at 0.2 mg/kg. These observations, together with recent evidence implicating inhibition of glucose metabolism in the pathogenesis of equine laminitis, indicated that triamcinolone‐induced laminitis may be associated with the long duration of action of the glucocorticoid when higher than recommended doses or when repeated doses are given.

Role of endogenous nitric oxide in the control of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic secretion in humans.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an unstable vasodilator formed by NO synthetase (NOS) from L-arginine (L-Arg) in various cells but its role in the control of pancreatic secretion in humans has not been examined. This study was designed to determine the role of endogenous NO in the control of exocrine and endocrine pancreas using NOS inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-Arg (L-NMMA). Pancreatic secretion was stimulated by intravenous infusion of secretin (80 pmol/kg/h) plus caerulein (50 pmol/kg/h) and duodenal content was aspirated by gastroduodenal tube. Two series of tests with secretagogue infusion were performed, one, with addition of graded doses of L-NMMA and, another, with addition of a constant dose of L-Arg alone followed by L-NMMA alone and finally by a combination of L-Arg and L-NMMA. Addition of L-NMMA in graded doses (2-8 mumol/kg/h) reduced dose dependently the secretin-caerulein stimulated pancreatic enzyme secretion without alterations in the volume flow and bicarbonate outputs. The addition of L-Arg to L-NMMA reversed the inhibitory action of L-NMMA on protein enzyme response to secretin-caerulein in these subjects. Secretin-caerulein infusion caused significant increase in plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels but without changes in plasma glucagon or somatostatin levels. L-NMMA alone resulted in a significant fall in plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels, while L-Arg added to pancreatic secretagogue infusion caused a significant increase of plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels above those attained with secretagogues alone. After the addition of L-Arg to L-NMMA, both plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels rose significantly above the levels observed with L-NMMA plus secretin-CCK stimulation. This study provides evidence that the suppression of NOS reduces pancreatic enzyme secretion and the plasma insulin and pancreatic polypeptide levels suggesting that endogenous NO affects both exocrine and endocrine pancreatic secretion in humans.

Early changes in plasma glucagon and growth hormone response to oral glucose in experimental hyperthyroidism

The mechanisms underlying deterioration of glucose tolerance associated with hyperthyroidism are not completely understood. Increases in glucagon and growth hormone (GH) secretion have been previously found in hyperthyroid subjects, and could play a crucial role in this phenomenon. However, studies have not yet established the time sequence of changes in plasma glucose on the one hand and glucagon and GH on the other. To assess the early effects of thyroid hormone excess on glucose tolerance and plasma concentrations of the main glucoregulatory hormones, 12 nondiabetic euthyroid subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) before and after triiodothyronine ([T 3] 120 μg/d) was administered for 10 days. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin, glucagon, and GH were determined at fasting and after the glucose load. T 3 administration caused a marked increase in serum T 3 (8.8 ± 0.6 v 2.0 ± 0.1 nmol/L), with clinical and biochemical signs of thyrotoxicosis. During the treatment, plasma glucose significantly increased both at fasting and after the glucose load (basal, 5.3 ± 0.1 v 4.9 ± 0.2 mmol/L, P < .05; area under the curve [AUC] for OGTT, 7.7 ± 0.3 v 6.7 ± 0.4 mmol/L · min, P < .01) without any change in plasma insulin levels. After T 3 administration, plasma glucagon levels were lower than at baseline (basal, 92 ± 7 v 148 ± 35 ng/L; AUC, 74 ± 6 v 98 ± 16 ng/L · min, P < .05), showing an appropriate reduction by the increased glucose levels. Conversely, plasma GH showed impaired suppression by hyperglycemia (AUC, 1.2 ± 0.3 v 0.7 ± 0.2 μg/L · min, P < .05). In conclusion, thyroid hormone excess rapidly impairs glucose tolerance. Altered secretion of GH is an early event in thyrotoxicosis accompanying the onset of hyperglycemia, whereas plasma glucagon is appropriately suppressed by the increased plasma glucose levels. Thus, GH but not glucagon may contribute to the early hyperglycemic effect of thyrotoxicosis.

Alterations in levels of plasma phenylalanine and its catabolism in the liver of stressed rats

This study examined the relationship between elevation of blood phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations often observed in trauma or infected patients without hepatic dysfunction and alterations of liver Phe catabolism. Rats underwent pathophysiologically different stresses, either sepsis or scald injury. The catalytic activity of hepatic Phe hydroxylase (PH) in the septic rats, as measured after preincubation with Phe, decreased to 60% of the control values; this in vitro result suggests a reduction of enzyme species activated by its substrate. Phe was degraded in the septic rats to a similar extent to that in controls, when measured by pulse administration of [1- 14C]-Phe. In the scalded rats whose plasma Phe level showed a comparable but transient increase, no significant alterations occurred in Phe catabolism and enzyme activities. The changes in plasma glucagon and catecholamine levels were consistent with those of the enzyme activities involved in Phe and tyrosine (Tyr) catabolism in the stressed groups. These results indicate that inadequate activation of native PH by regulatory mechanisms involving Phe in vivo was also associated with the accumulation of plasma Phe in infected rats during massive mobilization of amino acids from muscles under conditions of enhanced and sustained catabolism.

Changes in plasma glucagon, insulin and tissue metabolites associated with prolonged fasting in brown trout ( Salmo trutta fario) during two different seasons of the year

1. 1. Pyrenean brown trout juveniles ( Salmo trutta fario) were fasted for 50 days in late winter (experiment 1) and summer (experiment 2). Plasma insulin, glucagon and glucose and some metabolites in plasma and in tissues were analysed. 2. 2. Glucagon increased significantly on the 3rd day of fasting in the winter experiment (controls 653.7 ± 92.4 pg/ml, fasted 912.7 ± 135.2 pg/ml), and the same tendency was observed on the 5th day in the summer experiment (controls 430.5 ± 56.2 pg/ml, fasted 555.5 ± 95.3 pg/ml). During this initial period of fasting, plasma glucose was maintained in both experiments (75.5 ± 4.7–67.6 ±4.1 mg/100ml), but from day 8, glucose and glucagon decreased simultaneously. 3. 3. Insulin decreased from the beginning of fasting, reaching lowest values after 50 days of fasting (winter experiment: controls 6.4 ± 0.3 ng/ml, fasted 1.6 ± 0.1 ng/ml; summer experiment: controls 4.8 ± 0.1 ng/ml, fasted 1.2 ± 0.2 ng/ml). Glucagon/insulin molar ratio (G/I) increased after 3 days in the winter experiment (controls 0.21 ± 0.02, fasted 0.39 ± 0.05), while in the summer experiment, the ratio rose from day 5 and reached a peak at day 30 (controls 0.16 ± 0.02, fasted 0.48 ± 0.07). 4. 4. Muscle proteins were significantly mobilized after 50 days of fasting. Visceral index decreased significantly after day 15 while liver glycogen was already significantly lower at day 8. However, in the summer experiment, a transitory increase of liver glycogen was observed at day 30, coincicling with the peak of G/I.

Cephalic phase insulin release in normal weight males: verification and reliability

The existence and reliability of cephalic phase insulin release (CPIR) were tested in 20 normal weight males. Each subject was challenged three times with the same food stimulus over a 5-day period. Four baseline blood samples were taken at 5-min intervals before food ingestion and then every 2 min for 16 min postingestion. Significant increases in plasma insulin were found at 4 min postingestion on each trial day. CPIR was found to be highly reproducible between trials (r = 0.83; P less than 0.001). Fifty percent of the subjects exhibited a significant increase of plasma insulin above their own baseline mean on the first trial, whereas 75 and 72% exhibited increases on trials 2 and 3, respectively. Only two subjects (10%) did not demonstrate a response on any trial. A significant decline in plasma glucose was observed at 4 min postingestion on trials 2 and 3. No significant changes in plasma glucagon were found during any trial day. This study confirms a reliable CPIR in normal weight males.

Changes in plasma glucagon and insulin associated with fasting in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Juvenile sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were fasted for 22 days and changes in plasma insulin, glucagon and glucose levels, as well as glycogen and protein content in liver and muscle were analyzed. Glucagon increased initially on the 4th day of fasting. The glucagon/insulin ratio (G/I) increased from a value of 0.11±0.02 (24h of fasting) to 0.21±0.05 (4th day of fasting). Thereafter, both glucagon and insulin levels decreased and remained at low concentrations until the 22nd day of fasting. Plasma glucose levels fell at the beginning of fasting, stabilized between the 4th and 8th day, and gradually declined during the rest of the experiment. There was a body weight loss of 15% and a significant decrease in both the hepatosomatic index and mesenteric fat. The decrease in the percentage of muscle proteins was not significant, while liver glycogen content showed a sharp decline.

Plasma Glucose, Ketone Bodies, Insulin, Glucagon and Enteroglucagon in Cows: Diurnal Variations Related to Ketone Levels Before Feeding and to the Ketogenic Effects of Feeds

Ingestions of a moderately ketogenic silage twice daily were followed by transient increments in plasma insulin and ketone bodies and decreases in plasma glucose. Ketone bodies and glucose were negatively correlated throughout the day, but the insulin elevations culminated before the maximal effects on ketone bodies and glucose were established. Cows with varying glucose levels before morning feeding reacted to a highly ketogenic silage by decreasing their glucose level uniformly to about 3 mmol/l, in spite of a widely varying feeding-induced insulin increment. Hay-feeding caused insulin increments of the same magnitude as silage-feeding, but the glucose decrease and the ketone increment was much smaller. The results indicate some direct action of ketone bodies on blood sugar regulation, in addition to effects mediated by insulin. The role of ketone bodies as the insulinotropic factor was not confirmed. The insulin level after feeding seems to be determined by the carbohydrate status of the animal before feeding. No significant changes in plasma glucagon were observed after feeding, and no consistent differences in plasma levels of this hormone were found when non-ketonemic, ketonemic, and clinically ketotic cows were compared. The plasma level of enteroglucagon (GLI) was positively correlated to the relative amount of concentrates consumed, but no relation to plasma glucose was found.

Differences Between Prebreakfast and Late Afternoon Glycemic Responses to Exercise in IDDM Patients

Little information is available regarding the optimal timing of exercise in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients. In this study, six IDDM patients receiving ultralente-based intensive insulin therapy were studied during 30 min of exercise (approximately 60% VO2max), before breakfast, and at 1600. On two other occasions, they were studied at rest. Plasma glucose increased from 6.7 +/- 0.4 to 9.1 +/- 0.4 mM during morning exercise (P less than 0.01). In contrast, mean plasma glucose did not change during afternoon exercise (delta = 0.3 +/- 0.5 mM, NS); however, there was a 0.3- to 1.0-mM decrease in three subjects. The observed difference in the glycemic response to exercise could not be explained on the basis of changes in plasma glucagon, growth hormone, norepinephrine, or epinephrine. Plasma cortisol was higher (P less than 0.02) in the morning than in the afternoon, and plasma free-insulin concentrations were lower (P less than 0.05). These data indicate that the risk of exercise-induced hypoglycemia is lowest before breakfast. The reason for the divergent glycemic responses to exercise is not entirely clear but may be related to the observed differences in free-insulin concentrations. Because of the lower risk of hypoglycemia, our results suggest prebreakfast exercise may be preferable for some IDDM patients receiving intensive insulin therapy. Whether these findings are relevant to patients receiving other types of insulin therapy will require further investigation.

Muscarinic stimulation and antagonism and glucoregulation in nondiabetic and obese hyperglycemic mice.

Plasma glucose and insulin responses to a muscarinic agonist (bethanechol chloride) and a muscarinic antagonist (atropine) were evaluated in obese C57BL/6J ob/ob mice and in lean C57BL/6J + /? mice. In lean +/? mice, plasma glucose decreased in response to 1 and 2 micrograms/g bethanechol chloride, whereas insulin increased significantly. In ob/ob mice, insulin increased remarkably in response to bethanechol administration (saline, 632 +/- 80 microU/ml; 2 micrograms/g bethanechol chloride, 1794 +/- 97 microU/ml; n = 10), but surprisingly, plasma glucose also rose significantly (saline, 230 +/- 14 mg/dl; 2 micrograms/g bethanechol chloride, 363 +/- 18 mg/dl, n = 10). This exaggerated hyperglycemia in ob/ob mice was not associated with significant changes in plasma glucagon. Furthermore, administration of propranolol hydrochloride did not diminish bethanechol chloride-induced hyperglycemia in ob/ob mice. Administration of atropine (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg body wt) induced a significant decrease in plasma insulin without changes in plasma glucose in ob/ob mice, whereas neither plasma insulin nor plasma glucose changed in lean mice. Finally, conversion of [14C]alanine to glucose was increased in ob/ob mice after bethanechol chloride administration, indicating that muscarinic stimulation increases gluconeogenesis in an animal model of type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

Epinephrine's effect on metabolic rate is independent of changes in plasma insulin or glucagon

Epinephrine's effect to increase metabolic rate is accompanied by changes in the plasma concentrations of insulin, glucagon, and metabolic substrates. Because both glucagon and insulin have been reported to affect thermogenesis, these hormones might contribute to or modify the thermogenic response to epinephrine. To determine if the epinephrine-induced increase in metabolic rate is secondary to changes in glucagon or insulin or to changes in the fuels modulated by these hormones, metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry in five normal weight post-absorptive young men on three occasions: study A, an intravenous epinephrine infusion alone; study B, a 4-h "islet clamp" consisting of somatostatin infusion with basal insulin and glucagon replacement; and study C, an intravenous epinephrine infusion combined with the islet clamp. A 1-h base-line period preceded 2 h of epinephrine infusion. During the 4-h islet clamp (study B), metabolic rate and plasma concentrations of epinephrine, insulin, glucagon, and glucose remained unchanged. During the infusion of epinephrine alone (study A), metabolic rate and concentrations of glucagon, free fatty acids, and C-peptide increased as expected. Also as expected, the glycemic response to epinephrine infusion was much larger when insulin and glucagon levels were fixed with the islet clamp (study C). In contrast, the metabolic rate and the free fatty acid concentration responded similarly to epinephrine infusion when insulin and glucagon were fixed (study C) and when they were changing (study A). We conclude that epinephrine increases metabolic rate independently of physiological changes in plasma glucagon or insulin or the circulating fuels they modulate.

Apolipoprotein-E-gene expression in rat liver during development in relation to insulin and glucagon.

An apolipoprotein-E (apo-E) cDNA probe, cloned by immunoscreening of a lambda GT11 rat liver cDNA library, was used to further characterize the expression of the apo-E gene in rat liver during development, in relation to plasma insulin and glucagon levels. The apo-E mRNA level was low in fetus liver, then abruptly increased at birth and rose further during the suckling period. It returned to the level at birth in 10-week-old adults. These variations were paralleled with dramatic changes in plasma glucagon, which rose at birth and remained high during suckling. At the same time, the insulin/glucagon molar ratio fell. Administration of N6,O2-dibutyryl cAMP to 5-day-old rats resulted in a significant induction of liver apo-E mRNA. Moreover, liver apo-E mRNA rose in 10-h-fasted suckling rats as compared to controls, while plasma glucagon increased and the insulin/glucagon ratio decreased. Conversely, glucose feeding of suckling rats did not induce any increase in liver apo-E mRNA, the insulin/glucagon ratio was 10-fold higher than in fasted animals. Our results are consistent with liver apo-E gene expression being under the control of plasma glucagon and of the glucagon/insulin balance.

Usefulness of anaerobic threshold in estimating intensity of exercise for diabetics

We examined the utility of the anaerobic threshold (AT) for quantifying the intensity of exercise that a diabetic patient is capable of handling. Thirteen diabetic patients treated with buformin exercised on a bicycle ergometer, and comparison was made with 20 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. The AT was determined from V̇O 2 and V̇E with a personal computer. The intensity of exercise at the AT was 93 ± 6 W in diabetic men and 80 ± 10 W in diabetic women, values that were less than those of healthy subjects ( P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the intensity of exercise at the AT and the plasma concentration of buformin ( P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in either plasma lactic acid or pyruvic acid concentration at the AT between healthy subjects and diabetics. The plasma glucose at the AT or after exercise was lower than the baseline values in all subjects ( P < 0.01). The plasma insulin at the AT was lower than the baseline values in healthy subjects ( P < 0.01), but not in diabetics. There were no changes in plasma glucagon in any group. We concluded that determination of the AT is a simple, non-invasive procedure useful for ascertaining the optimal intensity of exercise for diabetics.

Metabolic role of the exercise-induced increment in epinephrine in the dog.

The role of the exercise-induced increment in epinephrine was studied in five adrenalectomized (ADX) and in six normal dogs (C). Experiments consisted of an 80-min equilibration period, a 40-min basal period, and a 150-min exercise period. ADX were studied with epinephrine replaced to basal levels during rest and to increased levels during exercise to simulate its normal rise (HE) and on a separate day with epinephrine maintained at basal levels throughout the study (BE). Cortisol was replaced during rest and exercise in ADX so as to simulate the levels seen in C. Glucose was infused as needed in ADX to maintain the glycemia evident during exercise in C. Glucose production (Ra) and utilization (Rd) were assessed isotopically. In C, epinephrine had risen by 95 +/- 25 pg/ml by the end of exercise. In HE, the increment in epinephrine (117 +/- 29 pg/ml) was similar to that seen in C, whereas in BE epinephrine fell by 18 +/- 9 pg/ml. Basal norepinephrine levels were 139 +/- 9, 260 +/- 25, and 313 +/- 33 pg/ml in C, HE, and BE, respectively. In response to exercise, norepinephrine increased by nearly twofold in all protocols. Basal and exercise-induced changes in plasma glucagon and insulin were similar in C and ADX. Ra increased similarly in C (5.3 +/- 0.6 mg.kg-1.min-1) and HE (4.9 +/- 0.6 mg.kg-1.min-1). In BE, Ra rose normally for the initial 90 min but then declined resulting in a rise of only 2.9 +/- 0.5 mg.kg-1.min-1 after 150 min of exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of somatostatin and glucose infusion on glucose kinetics in fetal sheep.

We examined the contribution of glucose, independently of insulin, on fetal glucose kinetics in the sheep by infusing somatostatin (SRIF), followed by SRIF plus glucose (protocol A) or reversing the initial infusion sequence (protocol B). In protocol A (n = 8), infusion of SRIF at 200 micrograms/h decreased plasma insulin (IRI) and blood glucose (G) by 2.8 +/- 1.0 microU/ml and 1.34 +/- 0.2 mg/dl from their respective basal concentrations of 6.8 +/- 1.4 microU/ml and 16.47 +/- 0.91 mg/dl (P less than 0.05; P less than 0.005). There were no significant changes in plasma glucagon (IRG) or the rates of umbilical G uptake or of G utilization, but G turnover decreased by 1.77 +/- 0.34 mg.kg-1.min-1 (P less than 0.005). Addition of G at a rate of 5.6 +/- 0.8 mg.kg-1.min-1 had no effect on IRI and IRG. Total G uptake (G infusion rate plus umbilical G uptake) increased from 6.37 +/- 0.77 to 10.25 +/- 1.0 mg.kg-1.min-1 (P less than 0.01), despite suppression of umbilical G uptake by 33%. Fetal G reached a new steady state of 23.08 +/- 1.37 mg/dl, and G turnover increased by 4.81 +/- 0.96 mg.kg-1.min-1 from its SRIF-induced nadir (P less than 0.005). Since G concentration was maintained at steady state, the rate of G utilization was equivalent to the rate of total G uptake, an increase of 60% from basal despite suppressed IRI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Role of glucagon in cholecystokinin-stimulated bile flow in dogs.

Although many choleretic agents are known, their physiological roles and interrelationships in increasing bile flow remain largely undetermined. Exogenous cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon, and insulin are stimulants of hepatic bile flow in animals and humans. Of possible importance in the choleresis produced by CCK is the stimulation by exogenous CCK of glucagon and insulin release from the pancreas. This research evaluates the role of glucagon and insulin in the choleresis produced by CCK. Dogs with chronic biliary and gastric fistulas were used. The synthetic octapeptide of CCK (CCK-8) administered in increasing doses produced progressive increases in bile volume, bile bicarbonate secretion, and bile chloride concentration and output. The choleresis produced by CCK-8 was qualitatively similar to that produced by intravenous glucagon. CCK-8 administration in increasing doses produced progressive increases in plasma glucagon. When bile flow changes during CCK-8 administration were correlated with changes in plasma glucagon, significant correlation existed. CCK-8 significantly increased serum insulin concentration only at the highest dose of CCK-8 administered. Somatostatin is an inhibitor of hormone release. Administration of somatostatin, along with CCK-8, inhibited the choleresis and the increased plasma glucagon produced by CCK-8 administration alone. During acute experiments in anesthetized dogs, the pancreas and stomach were removed to eliminate endogenous glucagon and insulin release. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)