Age related changes of glucagon binding and activity in isolated rat hepatocytes

Hepatocytes isolated from young and old rats were compared for glucagon binding and its biological effect. Liver cells from young rats showed a receptor binding of the hormone significantly higher than cells from old rats. Such a behaviour was paralleled by the activity of the hormone. In fact, the glucagon-dependent stimulation of adenylate cyclase in the hepatocytes from the former group of animals was twice as high as in the latter.