Centrally administered glucagon stimulates sympathetic nerve activity in rat.

The effect of pancreatic glucagon given intravenously, intracerebroventricularly and microinjected into the nucleus of the solitary tract on sympathetic activity in the cervical trunk and adrenal nerve was examined in rat. In each case glucagon caused a relatively long-lasting substantial increase in discharge of both nerves. This finding shows that glucagon can act centrally to stimulate sympathetic activity. The most probable site for the sympathoexcitatory effect of glucagon is the nucleus of the solitary tract.