Insulin releasing activity of gastrointestinal glucagon-like immunoreactive materials in perfused rat pancreas.

Insulin-releasing activity of porcine gastrointestinal glucagon-like immunoreactive materials purified by affinity chromatography was examined in the perfused rat pancreas. When glucose concentration of the perfusate was raised from 60 to 100 mg/dl, augmented insulin release was observed. The mean incremental area of immunoreactive insulin (sigma delta IRI) during the first 10 min thus observed was 19.07 +/- 3.76 ng/10 min. Pancreatic glucagon and the extract from the gastric fundus showed the enhancement of insulin release in this system when they were added to the perfusate at the rate of 100 ng/min for 5 min; delta IRI were 41.92 +/- 8.47 and 71.70 +/- 18.09 ng/10 min, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of 100 mg/dl of glucose alone. However, no significant difference in the insulinogenic activity was noticed between the extracts from the small intestine and the control. These results suggest that the extract from the gastric fundus has insulinogenic activity similar to that of pancreatic glucagon.