Glucose, beta adrenergic effects, and pancreatic endocrine function in the isolated perfused duck pancreas

Duck isolated perfused pancreas was used to assess glucose, adrenergic mediated effects and pancreatic function interrelationships. A moderate physiological 50% increase in glucose level, corresponding closely to the difference observed between 24-h-fasted and fed animals, induced a significant decrease of pancreatic glucagon not due to a rise in somatostatin secretion. The great responsiveness of the A cell was still found after glucagon stimulation by catecholamines or beta adrenergic agonism. Insulin was irresponsive to the glucose load we used, suggesting that glucose-induced glucagon suppression was also insulin independent. As far as the D cell was concerned, glucose had no effect on pancreatic somatostatin output; however, an interesting finding was that beta adrenergic agonism has a permissive effect on D cell responsiveness to the nutriment.