Plasma Glucagon and Insulin Concentrations in Acromegaly

Sixteen patients with clinically active acromegaly were investigated; four of these had insulin-independent diabetes mellitus. Those acromegalic subjects who were not diabetic exhibited excessive insulin responses to glucose and arginine stimulation. By contrast, plasma glucagon concentrations in these patients did not differ significantly from those in control subjects. Acromegalic patients who also had insulin-independent diabetes had a markedly reduced insulin response to glucose stimulation, while arginine-induced insulin secretion was relatively well preserved. Although there was a tendency for plasma glucagon concentrations to be higher in the diabetic than in the nondiabetic group of acromegalic subjects, this difference did not achieve statistical significance either in the basal state or during the glucose amd arginine infusion tests.