Effects of total pancreatectomy and amino-acid treatment on plasma amino-acids and glucose in the goose.

1. Total pancreatectomy in the goose, in addition to the effects previously described (fatal hypoglycaemia and impaired tolerance), increases markedly the plasma amino-acid level. This increase corresponds to a significant rise in individually tested plasma amino-acids. In addition, pancreatectomy suppresses the hyperglycaemia which normally follows arginine treatment. 2. Oral administration of arginine induces hyperglycaemia in normal, but not in depancreatized geese. Therefore, the arginine effect upon the blood glucose level could be mediated by glucagon. Plasma glucose and glucagon changes, in normal animals with oral administration or i.v. infusion (Khemiss and Sitbon, 1982), agree with this conclusion. 3. Conversely, alanine elicits hyperglycaemia in normal animals, and such hyperglycaemia persists in pancreatectomized geese. Therefore, in the goose, in contrast to the duck, alanine appears to be a strong gluconeogenic amino-acid. These experiments with alanine indicate that closely related species, such as ducks and geese, may present important physiological differences.