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ACROMEGALY: INSENSITIVITY OF THE PANCREATIC ALPHA CELL TO HYPERGLYCAEMIA *
Author(s) -
SEINO YUTAKA,
TAMINATO TOMOHIKO,
GOTO YASUO,
INOUE YOSHIMICHI,
KADOWAKI SEIZO,
MORI KOZABURO,
IMURA HIROO
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1978.tb01517.x
Subject(s) - acromegaly , medicine , endocrinology , glucagon , alpha cell , basal (medicine) , diabetes mellitus , alpha (finance) , plasma glucose , beta cell , insulin , hormone , growth hormone , islet , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction
SUMMARY Plasma glucagon levels were determined after 50 g of oral glucose loading in eleven acromegalics and fourteen normal subjects. Basal plasma glucagon levels were significantly elevated in patients with acromegaly, as compared with those in normal subjects. Oral glucose loading caused a decrease in plasma glucagon in normal subjects but not in acromegalics. Since this non‐suppressibility of plasma glucagon by orally administered glucose was observed even in acromegalics without diabetes, it is concluded that insensitivity of the pancreatic alpha cell to hyper‐glycaemia exists in patients with acromegaly as well as in diabetics.