Glucagon

HORMONES

Recombinant Human Glucagon

Glucagon is an important hormone involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The hormone is synthesized and secreted from alpha cells (-cells) of the islets of Langerhans, which are located in the endocrine portion of the pancreas. Glucagon is released when the glucose level in the blood is low (hypoglycemia), causing the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose and release it into the bloodstream. The action of glucagon is thus opposite to that of insulin, which instructs the body's cells to take in glucose from the blood in times of satiation.
Glucagon is beneficial for the culture of some cell types. It has been used in some biochemical regulation studies of glycogenolysis in hepatocytes. It has been also been found to induce DNA replication in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes when used in combinations with EGF and Insulin. Glucagon increases the blood glucose concentration by promoting rapid breakdown of liver glycogen, and also acts to relax smooth muscle such as the gastrointestinal tract.

The activity is determind by comparing, under certain conditions, the hyperglycemic effect it produces with that produced by the international standard or by reference preparation calibrated in IU and is found to be 1 IU/mg.