Glucagon-degrading activity in acid-ethanol extract of rat submandibular gland

To investigate whether immunoreactive glucagon really exists in salivary gland, the integrity of glucagon radioimmunoassay was tested in the acid-ethanol extract of rat submandibular gland. Though immunoreactive glucagon was apparently measured in acid-ethanol extract of rat submandibular gland, the extract contained a significant amount of intact glucagon-degrading activity. The apparent % bound in radioimmunoassay highly correlated with the degradation of [125I] glucagon during incubation. Gel filtration profiles of [125I] glucagon incubated with acid-ethanol extract were the same as those of [125I] glucagon damaged by submandibular acid-saline extract. These data suggest that the immunoreactive glucagon in acid-ethanol extract is, as in the case of acid-saline extract, an artifact due to degradation of [125I] glucagon during radioimmunoassay.