The glucagon/glucagon-like immunoreactivities in neurons of the human brain.

Using indirect immunofluorescence and Sternberger's PAP techniques on Bouin-fixed paraffin sections it was possible to show a glucagon/glucagon-like immunoreactivity in the following sites of the human brain: the Lamina V pyramidal cells of the Neocortex, the various neurons of the Hippocampus and Corpus amygdaloideum, the perikarya of neurons in the Nucleus ventromedialis and Nucleus infundibularis (arcuatus), the Nucleus ambiguus and the numerous granular cells of the cerebellar cortex. It was also possible with both techniques to find a similar distribution of the peptide hormones in the perikarya and the proximal parts of the neuronal extensions. Appropriate controls were used to confirm the results. Simultaneously, tissue specimens from the same brain regions were investigated for glucagon by radioimmunoassay. The glucagon content of nervous tissue was found to be much higher than the average glucagon concentration of blood plasma. The highest level of the polypeptide could be revealed for the Hypothalamus (up to 40 times higher than in blood plasma).