{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:46:35Z","timestamp":1760060795291,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758153600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005888","name":"Medical University of Lodz, Poland","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["503\/1-107-03\/503-11-001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["503\/1-107-03\/503-11-001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005888","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The insulin tolerance test (ITT) and glucagon stimulation test (GST) are commonly used for assessment of anterior pituitary function, but there are few direct comparisons of these tests, i.e., where both tests were performed on the same individuals. Methods: We designed a cross-over study, where we compared concentrations of glucose, cortisol, and GH during ITT and standard fixed-dose GST in 19 subjects (five males), with a mean age of 33.8 years (range 19\u201360) and a mean BMI of 27.8 kg\/m2 (range 16.5\u201347.6). Results: Optimal fall in glucose concentrations during ITT (i.e., &lt;40 mg\/dL) was obtained in all study participants. During ITT we obtained lower minimal glucose concentrations (glucose nadir), i.e., 29.7 \u00b1 7.67 mg\/dL at 30 min of ITT, than during GST, i.e., 73.6 \u00b1 9.67 mg\/dL at 180 min of GST, p &lt; 0.01. In contrast, glucose fluctuations (\u0394Glucose) were higher during GST (77.8 \u00b1 22.6 mg\/dL versus 56.7 \u00b1 10.9 mg\/dL, p = 0.002, for GST and ITT, respectively). There was, however, no difference in degree of stimulation of either cortisol or GH release during both tests: \u0394Cortisol 9.28 \u00b1 3.79 \u00b5g\/dL for GST versus 8.49 \u00b1 3.46 \u00b5g\/dL for ITT, p = 0.4, and \u0394GH 10.23 \u00b1 10.36 ng\/mL for GST versus 10.52 \u00b1 9.67 ng\/mL for ITT, p = 1.0. Conclusions: Although hypoglycaemia is not observed during GST in contrast to ITT, it appears that both tests lead to similar increments in cortisol and growth hormone secretion. We, therefore, conclude that GST should not be automatically considered as an \u201cinferior\u201d option in comparison to ITT.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14186567","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T12:24:25Z","timestamp":1758198265000},"page":"6567","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparison of Glucagon Stimulation Test and Insulin Tolerance Test for Assessment of an Anterior Pituitary Function\u2014A Cross-Over Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9113-2804","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Krzysztof C.","family":"Lewandowski","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine\u2014Collegium Medicum, Mazovian University in Plock, D\u0105browskiego St. 2, 09-402 Plock, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joanna","family":"Kawalec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polish Mother\u2019s Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Rzgowska St. 281\/289, 93-338 Lodz, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-1415-6730","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulina","family":"Lewandowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, The Medical University of Warsaw, \u017bwirki i Wigury St. 61, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wojciech","family":"Horzelski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Lodz, Stefana Banacha St. 22, 90-238 Lodz, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3045-5669","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ma\u0142gorzata","family":"Karbownik-Lewi\u0144ska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Polish Mother\u2019s Memorial Hospital Research Institute, Rzgowska St. 281\/289, 93-338 Lodz, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Endocrinology & Metabolic Diseases, The Medical University of Lodz, Rzgowska St. 281\/289, 93-338 Lodz, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4855","DOI":"10.1210\/jc.2010-0982","article-title":"Clinical Review: The diagnosis and management of central hypoadrenalism","volume":"95","author":"Grossman","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. 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