Free and total circulating magnesium following glucagon injection in humans

It has been postulated that parathormone, calcitonine, insulin and catechol amines are involved in extracellular magnesium homeostasis. Yet, there is s till a rudimentary knowledge of the endocrine factors that control circulat ing magnesium homeostasis. The effects of exogenous glucagon injection on c irculating total and ionized magnesium were investigated in II healthy huma ns (five females and six males, aged between 21 and 30, median 26 years). A s compared with a control study, intravenous injection of a bolus of 1 mg o f glucagon was associated with the expected raised glucose (at 5, 10, 20 an d 30 min) and with decreased potassium (at 20 and 30 min) and inorganic pho sphate (at 20 and 30 min) levels. intravenous glucagon was not followed by significant changes in plasma total and ionized magnesium. Consequently, th ere is still little evidence for a glucagon-dependent control of the extrac ellular magnesium concentration after acute administration of glucagon.