Patient's question:
I have been overweight since childhood due to excessive nutrition, so my physique is on the plump side. As expected, during the recent final exam health check, I failed the test. I have congenital diabetes, so I didn't get into the major I wanted as a result. The final exams have already ended, and I went to the hospital. The doctor recommended that I take medication first to enhance the glucagon target cells. What is the function of glucagon target cells?Doctor's answer:
The target cells of glucagon are primarily hepatocytes. Glucagon has a strong effect in promoting glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. Glucagon can significantly enhance blood glucose levels, activate lipase, promote fat compression, while also increasing fatty acid hydrolysis and enhancing ketone body formation. The target organ for glucagon to produce the aforementioned metabolic effects is the liver. The liver can be removed or blocked by interrupting its blood flow, and these effects will disappear. Glucagon can also promote the secretion of insulin and pancreatic somatostatin, and therefore it also has hypoglycemic effects. When these functions are impaired, diabetes may occur again.