Secretion of glucagon in liver cell carcinoma

In order to elucidate the response of plasma glucagon in liver cell carcinoma, a clinical study was performed in 12 patients with liver cell carcinoma in addition to 8 patients with liver cirrhosis and 8 normal subjects. Arginine infusion elicited increases in plasma insulin and glucagon in 6 patients with liver cell carcinoma as well as 8 patients with liver cirrhosis compared with the controls. However, the responses of plasma insulin and glucagon in liver cell carcinoma did not exceed those in liver cirrhosis. No glucagon secreting cell was proved in the hepatic cancer tissues from two other patients. Furthermore, no measurable glucagon was demonstrated in the tumor tissues extracted from four other patients with liver cell carcinoma. The extract of the tumors, infused into the pancreatic artery of anesthetized dogs, did not elicit any discernible changes in glucagon and insulin in the pancreatic vein. The present study demonstrates an elevated response of plasma glucagon in liver cell carcinoma. Since the morphological and biochemical studies failed to demonstrate the glucagon secreting cell or glucagon-stimulating material in the tumor tissues, the elevated plasma glucagon response might be interpreted by the increased A-cell function of the pancreas and the decreased degradation of the hormones in the liver.