Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2024) 99 P140 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.99.P140

ECE2024 Poster Presentations Pituitary and Neuroendocrinology (120 abstracts)

Elimination of fall in glucose during glucagon stimulation test does not completely abolish an increase in growth hormone and cortisol concentrations

Krzysztof Lewandowski 1,2 , Joanna Kawalec 2 , Wojciech Horzelski 3 & Andrzej Lewiński 1,2


1The Medical University of Lodz, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolic Diseases, Lodz, Poland; 2’ Polish Mother’s’ Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolic Diseases, Lodz, Poland; 3The University of Lodz, Department of Mathemathics & Computer Science, Lodz, Poland


Background: Precise mechanism(s) responsible for stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and cortisol during Glucagon Stimulation Test (GST) are not clear, but seem to be related to glucagon-induced fluctuations in glucose and/or insulin with an initial increase followed by a subsequent fall in glucose and insulin concentrations. We have endeavoured to assess whether elimination of fall in glucose concentrations during GST would obliterate any significant increase in GH and cortisol.

Subjects & Methods: We designed a cross-over study, where glucose, GH, cortisol and insulin were measured in six healthy subjects (age range 28-54, one male) during GST (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes), and subsequently in the same individuals, when a fall in glucose and insulin was prevented by infusion of 10% glucose that was started at 60 minutes after administration of intramuscular glucagon.

Results: As expected, administration of glucose prevented a fall in glucose and insulin concentrations observed during later time-points of GST (e.g. mean glucose at 180 minutes of GST 176.7 mg/dl vs 71.6 mg/dl, P=0.001, mean insulin 53.6 µU/ml vs 4.52 µU/ml, P=0.003). Despite that there was still an increase in GH concentrations though less pronounced than in cross-over controls (GHglucose infusion: median lowest value 0.17ng/ml vs median maximal value 8.12 ng/ml, P=0.04, GHcross-over controls: median lowest value 0.24 ng/ml vs median maximal value 15.12 ng/ml, P=0.004). The same applied to cortisol concentrations (Cortisolglucose infusion: median lowest value 6.89 µg/dl vs median maximal value 15.15 µg/dl, P=0.05, Cortisolcross-over controls: median lowest value 8.48 µg/dl vs median maximal value 19.75 µg/dl, P=0.01).

Conclusions: Fall in glucose concentrations during the second phase of GST contributes to stimulation of GH and cortisol secretion, but is not the only factor responsible for this phenomenon. Precise mechanisms involved in stimulation of GH and cortisol secretion during glucagon stimulation test still remain to be elucidated.

Volume 99

26th European Congress of Endocrinology

Stockholm, Sweden
11 May 2024 - 14 May 2024

European Society of Endocrinology 

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