A recent study led by researchers in Texas A&M University's department of nutrition and food science shows how a novel regulatory mechanism serves as an important biomarker for the development of diabetes, as well as a potential therapeutic target for its prevention. The study can be found online in Diabetes, the journal of the American Diabetes Association. "Glucagon and insulin are the most important pancreatic hormones in target tissues, such as the liver, in control of proper glucose levels in response to food intake," explained Dr. Shaodong Guo, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist in the department of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University, College Station.
Guo was the primary investigator and corresponding author for the study, which involved several other researchers from the department. Additional participation in the study came from the department of endocrinology at Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; the division of endocrinology, department of medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and the department of chemistry, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio. During fasting, Guo said, glucagon is secreted from pancreatic a-cells to elevate blood glucose, protecting the body from hypoglycemia. Glucagon also has been tied to the development of diabetic hyperglycemia, mainly through enhancing hepatic glucose production, or HGP.