Selective and sensitive quantification of glucagon and glucagon-related peptide hormones in human plasma using conventional LC/MS/MS

Impaired secretion of endogenous bioactive peptides such as peptide hormones and cytokines is associated with the development and pathophysiology of various diseases. Glucagon is a peptide hormone known to increase blood glucose levels. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a peptide hormone generated from the same precursor as glucagon, regulates glucose metabolism by enhancing insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. Because of similarities between amino acid sequences of glucagon and glucagon-related peptides derived from proglucagon, the quantification of glucagon in blood by conventional immunoassay methods have been hampered by cross-reactivity of anti-glucagon antibodies with glucagon-related peptides.

In the present study, to selectively quantify these peptide hormones in human plasma, we developed a sensitive method using a LC/MS/MS.