Glucagon Secretion During the Early Postnatal Period in the Rat

Abstract

During the first hour of extra-uterine life, a profound hypoglycemia appears in the newborn rat and is accompanied by a sharp increase in plasma glucagon. This increase precedes activation of the liver phorphorylase and hepatic glycogenolysis. This time sequence suggests that the postnatal needs of fuel and hypoglycemia or both trigger glucagon secretion by the pancreas which in turn stimulates hepatic glycogenolysis.