Renal control of cephalic and intestinal removal of glucagon in the anesthetized dog

The extraction of plasma glucagon during intravenous infusion of exogenous hormone has been measured in the head, gastrointestinal tract or kidney of dogs submitted to binephrectomy or to sham surgery. A significant glucagon extraction was demonstrated not only in the kidney, but also in the head and in the portal area; moreover, plasma glucagon extraction by the head and by the bowel were significantly reduced, after binephrectomy, by 55 and 46 per cent, respectively. Changes in blood flow are unlikely to be involved to explain these phenomena. Therefore, a control by the kidney of the peripheral removal of plasma glucagon is suggested, the mechanism of which remains hypothetical.