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Inverse relation between amylin and glucagon secretion in healthy and diabetic human subjects
Author(s) -
Ludvik B.,
Thomaseth K.,
Nolan J. J.,
Clodi M.,
Prager R.,
Pacini G.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2362.2003.01142.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amylin , endocrinology , glucagon , diabetes mellitus , insulin , splanchnic , type 2 diabetes , pathogenesis , secretion , pancreatic hormone , insulin resistance , blood flow , islet
Background The role of amylin, which is cosecreted together with insulin by the pancreatic B‐cells, in the pathogenesis of type‐2 diabetes is still unclear. To elucidate a possible relation between amylin and glucagon we directly evaluated the respective prehepatic secretions following administration of a 75‐g oral glucose load (OGL) in humans. Materials and methods We studied six healthy controls (C), six obese, insulin resistant subjects (O) and six patients with type 2 diabetes (D). Catheters were placed in the femoral artery and hepatic vein according to the hepatic vein catheterization technique. Splanchnic blood flow was assessed by infusion of indocyanine‐green dye. The measured variables were analyzed by a general circulatory model for calculation of prehepatic secretion. Results The total amount of released glucagon was not different between the respective groups (20·5 ± 2·3 in C, 27·7 ± 5·1 in O and 27·9 ± 5·4 µg/4 h in D). When considered as the difference from the fasting profile, however, glucagon secretion was reduced by 3·5 ± 14% in C, 25 ± 12% in O and increased by 36 ± 21% in D ( P = 0·051, D vs. C). Amylin secretion was increased in O (1·10 ± 0·15) vs. C (0·63 ± 0·05, P < 0·05) and D (0·24 ± 0·10 nmol, P < 0·01). Following glucose administration, glucagon secretion significantly inversely correlated with secretion of amylin ( r = −0·6, P < 0·01), but not with that of insulin ( r =−0·23, P = 0·36). Conclusions The inverse correlation between amylin and glucagon secretion suggests that amylin modulates glucagon secretion following oral glucose administration. This study proves for the first time a role of endogenous amylin in the regulation of glucose homeostasis.