Photo Credit: Md Saiful Islam Khan
The following is a summary of “Metabolic Effects of Glucagon Stimulations in Type 1 Diabetes and Healthy Controls,” published in the January 2025 issue of Endocrinology by She et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the metabolic responses to glucagon stimulation in type 1 diabetes and explore the impact of recent hypoglycemia on glucagon sensitivity.
They included 29 participants, 19 with type 1 diabetes and 10 healthy controls, who underwent a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with 5-stepwise glucagon injections. Metabolic responses were evaluated before and during each glucagon injection.
The results showed the incremental area under the plasma glucose concentration curve during glucagon injections was similar between the groups, except for the first 10 μg injection, where participants with type 1 diabetes had a higher response than healthy controls. No differences were observed in plasma concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids, glycerol, or metabolites between the groups. Exposure to hypoglycemia did not affect the glucagon-induced metabolic responses in participants with type 1 diabetes.
Investigators concluded that while metabolic responses to glucagon stimulation in individuals with type 1 diabetes were generally similar to healthy controls, an enhanced sensitivity to low-dose glucagon stimulation, manifested as elevated glucose production, was observed in the type 1 diabetes group.
Source: academic.oup.com/jcem/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1210/clinem/dgaf030/7961980
