Basal Plasma Glucagon Levels of Man

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Abstract

The isolated perfused rat liver can serve as a bioassay system for glucagon, capable of detecting 10 mμg of this agent. Seven 15-ml plasma specimens obtained from different healthy volunteers after an overnight fast were assayed in this system; glucagon could not be detected in any of them, indicating concentrations significantly below 0.67 mμg per ml in all subjects. The effects of administering small doses of glucagon to patients were consistent with these results; imposition of increments to plasma glucagon concentration below 1 mμg per ml induced distinct and sustained increases in blood glucose.

Authors

Joseph E. Sokal, Ediz Z. Ezdinli