Amylase/creatinine clearance ratio response to hyperglucagonemia in diabetes and obesity.

Hyperglucagonemia accompanies several disorders such as acute pancreatitis and diabetic ketoacidosis characterized by increased amylase/creatinine clearance ratio (ACCR). We tested the hypothesis that glucagon may be responsible for the augmental ACCR among diabetic and/or obese subjects. A constant glucagon infusion (15 ng/kg/min) was given to eight noninsulin-dependent diabetics and to eight obese subjects to attain glucagon levels comparable with those obtained during acute pancreatitis. The ACCR significantly increased from 0.9 +/- 0.1 to 1.5 +/- 0.1% (p less than 0.005) in both noninsulin-dependent diabetics and obese subjects, whereas among normal control subjects the ACCR increased from 0.84 +/- 0.8 to 1.3 +/- 0.14% (p less than 0.001). Because the increased values observed in either noninsulin-dependent diabetics or obese subjects are less than the ACCR values observed in acute pancreatitis or in diabetic ketoacidosis, the elevated ACCR in those conditions is only partially explained by the hyperglucagonemia.