Mazdutide: An emerging glucagon/GCG-like peptide-1 dual receptor agonist for obesity—a comparison of therapeutic effects and potential side effects with GCG-like peptide-1 inhibitors

Figure 3 Physiological effects of glucagon. The physiological effects of glucagon are extensive. A: In the liver, glucagon activation stimulates glycogen phosphorylase kinase, increases circulating fibroblast growth factor 21, upregulates the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase, promotes glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, and thus increases blood glucose; B: In the kidney, glucagon is crucial for maintaining water and electrolyte balance, blood pressure, and redox homeostasis; C: In adipose tissue, glucagon can act on brown adipose tissue and white adipose tissue and augment the metabolic rate; D: In the pancreas, glucagon activation may cause the proliferation of α cells; E: In the central nervous system, glucagon can influence energy expenditure; F: In the heart, glucagon participates in the enhancement of intrinsic heart rate. BP: Blood pressure; BAT: Brown adipose tissue; WAT: White adipose tissue; FGF21: Fibroblast growth factor 21; IHR: Intrinsic heart rate.