The Plasma Glucagon and Insulin Responses to Arginine Infusion in Diabetic Subjects

Immunoreactive plasma glucagon (IRG) and insulin (IRI) in 10 healthy volunteers (within 15 percent of ideal body weight), 27 diabetic subjects and 3 patients with pancreatic diseases were determined by specific radioimmunoassay techniques (antiserum 30K was utilized for plasma glucagon measurements) before and during arginine infusion. Diabetic subjects were divided into 3 groups, 17 mild diabetic group (fasting blood sugar less than 139 mg%), 4 moderate diabetic group (fasting blood sugar 140 to 199 mg%) and 6 severe diabetic group (fasting blood sugar more than 200 mg%) . L-arginine (0.5 g/kg) was infused intravenously during 30 min. Fasting IRG levels of healthy controls, mild, moderate and severe diabetic groups were averaged 84±17, 97±16, 105±72, 108±49pg/ml respectively (M±SEM) . These fasting IRG levels of 3 diabetic groups did not differ significantly from that of the controls. Although the infusion of arginine induced six- to eight-folds elevation in plasma IRG of all groups including controls, plasma IRG increments following arginine infusion in mild diabetics were significantly greater than that of controls, p