Influence of pregnancy on glucagon levels in insulin-dependent diabetic women.

Eight insulin-dependent non pregnant (IDD-NP), 10 insulin-dependent pregnant (IDD-P) and 9 pregnant control women were studied. During intravenous arginine challenge (ATT) there were lower glucose and higher glucagon plasma levels in the IDD-P when compared to the IDD-NP. IRG levels in response to ATT were also significantly higher in diabetic than in non diabetic control pregnant women. These results seem to indicate that pregnancy in diabetic women, in contrast to that observed in normal women, enhances glucagon secretion with impairment of the physiological mechanism of the facilitated anabolism present in normal pregnancy.