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Effects of Insulin on the Glucagon Release, Glucose Utilization and ATP Content of the Pancreatic A Cells of the Guinea Pig

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GLUCAGON: Its Role in Physiology and Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that insulin suppresses hyperglucagonemia in animals with experimental diabetes. This observation has raised the question whether the pancreatic A cell itself is insulin sensitive. The availability of A cell rich pancreatic islets opens the possibility of a more direct approach to this question. The effects of exogenous insulin on the glucagon release, glucose utilization and ATP content were studied in A cell rich islets from streptozotocin treated guinea pigs. Batches of islets were incubated in glucose concentrations of 3.3 mM, 16.7 mM or 16.7 mM plus 30 mU/ml insulin. The glucagon release was similar at both the low and high glucose concentrations but was strongly suppressed when insulin was added to the high-glucose medium. Glucose utilization increased with the glucose concentration in both normal and A cell rich islets. Addition of insulin caused a significant stimulation only in the latter islets. Similarly, the ATP concentration of the A cell rich islets increased when the glucose concentration was raised and displayed a further significant increase when insulin was added to the high-glucose medium. The present observations support the view that the A cell is sensitive to insulin and suggest that the suppressive effect of insulin on glucagon release is mediated via a stimulated glucose metabolism of the A cell.

A2, in the original manuscript

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden

    C.-G. Östenson, A. Andersson, S. E. Brolin, B. Petersson & C. Hellerström

Authors
  1. C.-G. Östenson
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  2. A. Andersson
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  3. S. E. Brolin
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  4. B. Petersson
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  5. C. Hellerström
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 48201, Detroit, Michigan, USA

    Piero P. Foà

  2. Department of Medicine, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, 110016, New Delhi, India

    Jasbir S. Bajaj

  3. Department of Research, Sinai Hospital of Detroit, 48235, Detroit, Michigan, USA

    Naomi L. Foà

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© 1977 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Östenson, CG., Andersson, A., Brolin, S.E., Petersson, B., Hellerström, C. (1977). Effects of Insulin on the Glucagon Release, Glucose Utilization and ATP Content of the Pancreatic A Cells of the Guinea Pig. In: Foà, P.P., Bajaj, J.S., Foà, N.L. (eds) GLUCAGON: Its Role in Physiology and Clinical Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6366-1_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-6366-1_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-6368-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-6366-1

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