This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Roger H. Unger, MD; Lelio Orci, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1977;137(4):482-491.

Abstract
The glucagon-secreting A cell is a vital component of the organ system which regulates the distribution of fuel— the islets of Langerhans. Bihormonal control of glucoregulation through a push-pull system maintains the glucose concentration of extracellular fluid within narrow limits irrespective of glucose flux rates through relative equality of glucose influx and efflux. This equality requires appropriate secretion mixtures of the biologic antagonists, insulin and glucagon, directed by a glucose sensor. In severe diabetes, there are virtually no B cells and A cells are in contact largely with other A cells and their glucose-sensing capacity is lost. The A cell hypersecretes and in most juvenile type diabetics aggressive therapy with insulin fails to restore it to normal. Glucagon is a factor in the development of endogenous hyperglycemia, and ketoacidosis. Its suppression may provide a possible approach in the future pharmacologic management of diabetic hyperglycemia.

(Arch Intern Med 137:482-491, 1977)

Author Affiliations
From the Veterans Administration Hospital and the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas (Dr Unger), and the Institute of Histology and Embryology, Geneva (Dr Orci).

Footnotes
Reprint requests to US Veterans Administration Hospital, 4500 S Lancaster, Dallas 79216 (Dr Unger).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Postprandial suppression of glucagon secretion depends on intact pulsatile insulin secretion: further evidence for the intraislet insulin hypothesis.
Meier et al.
Diabetes 2006;55:1051-1056.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Effects of simulated hyperglycemia, insulin, and glucagon on endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression
Ding et al.
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2000;279:E11-E17.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Endocrinology and Metabolism: An Annotated Bibliography of Recent Literature: References to Journal Articles and Other Papers
ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM COMMITTEE
ANN INTERN MED 1979;90:726-731.
ABSTRACT  

Endocrinology
Nusynowitz
JAMA 1978;239:527-529.
 

Diabetes: New Insights and Old Concepts
Felig
Arch Intern Med 1977;137:569-570.
ABSTRACT