glucagon, a pancreatic hormone produced by cells in the islets of Langerhans. Glucagon is a 29-amino-acid peptide that is produced specifically by the alpha cells of the islets. It has a high degree of similarity with several glucagon-like peptides that are secreted by cells scattered throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
Glucagon secretion is stimulated by the ingestion of protein, by low blood glucose concentrations (hypoglycemia), and by exercise. It is inhibited by the ingestion of carbohydrates, an effect that may be mediated by the resultant increase in blood glucose concentrations and insulin secretion. Glucagon strongly opposes the action of insulin; it raises the concentration of glucose in the blood by promoting glycogenolysis, which is the breakdown of glycogen (the form in which glucose is stored in the liver), and by stimulating gluconeogenesis, which is the production of glucose from amino acids and glycerol in the liver. By increasing the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream, glucagon plays a critical role in maintaining blood glucose concentrations during fasting and exercise.
Gastrointestinal glucagon, another form, is secreted into the blood when glucose is ingested; its only action appears to be to stimulate the secretion of insulin.