Glucagon as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of asthma.

Glucagon, an activator of cyclic AMP that produces smooth muscle relaxation, was studied to determine if it had the ability to reverse or modify the degree of bronchospasm in asthmatic patients. Fourteen patients with mild to moderately severe bronchospastic exacerbation of asthma were studied using peak expiratory flow rates (PEFR) before and after receiving one milligram of glucagon intravenously. Eight (57%) of the 14 patients demonstrated a mean PEFR increase of 113 L/min ten minutes following glucagon administration and were termed responders. This study suggests that further investigation of the role of glucagon in asthmatic patients is warranted.