The Influence of the Antecedent Diet upon Glucagon and Insulin Secretion

THE importance of both the alpha and beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the control of blood glucose homeostasis via regulation of hepatic glucose production is supported by the observation that during starvation, when need for endogenous glucose production by the liver is greatest, plasma levels of the glucogenic hormone, glucagon, rise after 48 hours, whereas those of the antiglucogenic genic hormone, insulin, decrease.1 Conversely, when need for endogenous glucose production is completely abolished by the intravenous infusion of exogenous glucose, the plasma levels of glucagon decline, and those of insulin increase,2 and the liver is converted from . . .