Glucagon Provocative Test for Pheochromocytoma

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Abstract
Intravenous glucagon provoked striking pressor responses in 3 patients with pheochromocytoma and in 1 patient suspected of pheochromocytoma. Glucagon produced no blood pressure rise in 126 other subjects not suspected of harboring a functioning chromaffin tumor. These findings support experimental observations of others where glucagon was shown to have a direct, dose-dependent adrenomedullotropic effect. In patients with pheochromocytoma, glucagon evokes release of excessive quantities of pressor amines resulting in a hypertensive paroxysm. In addition to its apparent effectiveness as a pharmacologic provocative agent in patients with paroxysmally functioning pheochromocytomas, glucagon avoids the unwanted side effects of the more familiar histamine challenge.