The control of insulin and glucagon secretion from isolated pancreatic islets of lean
and genetically obese mice has been compared. The enlarged islets of obese mouse pancreas
and islets of obese mice maintained on a restricted diet manifested a greater response
to glucose stimulation of insulin secretion than the lean mice islets. The glucagon
content of the islets, the secretion of glucagon in a medium containing 150 mg% glucose
and the stimulation of glucagon secretion by arginine did not differ significantly
in the two groups. Adrenaline stimulated glucagon secretion in vitro from obese mice
but not from lean mice. Antiinsulin serum injections into obese mice increased the
plasma glucagon levels about twofold and had no effect on glucagon levels in lean
mice, although the level of hyperglycaemia was the same in both groups. It is suggested
that the suppression of glucagon release by glucose requires a higher concentration
of insulin in the obese mouse pancreas than in lean mice.
Insulin - Glucagon Secretion - Obese Mice - Pancreatic Islets - Glucose - Adrenaline
- Anti-Insulin Serum - Amino-acids
