PEDIATRICS Vol. 56 No. 1 July 1975, pp. 78-81
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Fiser, R. H.
Right arrow Articles by Oh, W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fiser, R. H., Jr.
Right arrow Articles by Oh, W.

The Effect of Oral Alanine on Blood Glucose and Glucagon in the Human Newborn Infant

R. H. Fiser Jr. M.D.1, P. R. Williams M.D.1, D. A. Fisher M.D.1, P. V. DeLameter M.D.1, M. A. Sperling M.D.1, and W. Oh M.D.1

1 Department of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine, and Harbor General Hospital, Torrance, California

Plasma, glucose, glucagon, and insulin responses to oral feedings of l-alanine were assessed in 44 healthy term infants during the first three days of life. Alanine administration produced significant increases in glucagon and glucose concentrations on day 1, but not on days 2 and 3. These increases occurred within 30 minutes (mean and SEM for glucagon, 127 ± 7 to 219 ± 16 pg/ml, P < 0.001; glucose, 45 ± 3 to 60 ± 7 mg/100 ml, P < 0.01) and persisted at the P < 0.05 level at four hours. Responsiveness to alanine seemed to be related to the baseline blood glucose levels since constant infusions of glucose inhibited the response. These results indicate that the pancreatic islet alpha cell secretion mechanism(s) is functioning in the newborn.

Submitted on March 6, 1974
Accepted on July 1, 1974