Abstract
Summary
Total quantities of immunoreactive insulin and glucagon in human fetal pancreases (aged 25–135 days) were determined. Small amounts of these hormones were demonstrable by the 50th day, larger amounts by the 90th day and relatively large quantities by the 110th day. Arginine (5 mM) produced a very significant increase in the secretion of each hormone from slices of pancreas, while glucose (300 mg/100 ml) did not affect glucagon release and had relatively little effect upon insulin release. Using Sephadex gel filtration, we have found a fraction with a molecular weight three times that of glucagon which combines with glucagon antibody. Studies are being performed to determine if this larger molecular compound contains glucagon.
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