STUDIES ON THE ORIGIN OF THE HYPERGLYCAEMIC GLYCOGENOLYTIC FACTOR (HGF)

Abstract

Soon after the discovery of insulin it was observed that most insulin preparations contained a fraction (Gibbs et al., 1923) which had blood-sugar raising property. Later studies (Sutherland & de Duve, 1948) revealed that this substance (HGF) was present in the pancreas as well as in the gastric and duodenal mucosa of many species of animals. As HGF could be demonstrated in the extracts of pancreas which was fibrosed after ligature of the duct, and also in the extracts of pancreas in which the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans were selectively destroyed by alloxan, it was postulated that the alpha cells of the islet tissue might be the site of its formation. In support of this hypothesis Vuylsteke et al. (1952) reported a 60% fall in HGF content of pancreas of guinea pigs in which the alpha cells were selectively destroyed by the administration of cobalt chloride.