Accelerated gastric emptying but no carbohydrate malabsorption 1 year after gastric bypass surgery (GBP)

Gastric bypass and banding equally improve insulin sensitivity and β cell function

Bariatric surgery in obese patients is a highly effective method of preventing or resolving type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, the remission rate is not the same among different surgical procedures. We compared the effects of 20% weight loss induced by laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery on the metabolic response to a mixed meal, insulin sensitivity, and β cell function in nondiabetic obese adults. The metabolic response to meal ingestion was markedly different after RYGB than after LAGB surgery, manifested by rapid delivery of ingested glucose into the systemic circulation, by an increase in the dynamic insulin secretion rate, and by large, early postprandial increases in plasma glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations in the RYGB group. However, the improvement in oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and overall β cell function after weight loss were not different between surgical groups. Additionally, both surgical procedures resulted in a similar decrease in adipose tissue markers of inflammation. We conclude that marked weight loss itself is primarily responsible for the therapeutic effects of RYGB and LAGB on insulin sensitivity, β cell function, and oral glucose tolerance in nondiabetic obese adults.

Neural responsivity to food cues in fasted and fed states pre and post gastric bypass surgery

Reductions in mesolimbic responsivity have been noted following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB; Ochner et al., 2011a). Given potential for postoperative increases in postprandial gut (satiety) peptides to affect mesolimbic neural responsivity, we hypothesized that: (1) post RYGB changes in mesolimbic responsivity would be greater in the fed relative to the fasted state and; (2) fasted vs. fed state differences in mesolimbic responsivity would be greater post-relative to pre-surgery. fMRI was used to asses neural responsivity to high- and low-calorie food cues in five women 1 mo pre- and 1 mo post-RYGB. Scans were repeated in fasted and fed states. Significant post RYGB decreases in the insula, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) responsivity were found in the fasted state. These changes were larger than neural changes in the fed state, which were non-significant. Preoperatively, fasted vs. fed differences in neural responsivity were greater in the precuneus, with large but nonsignificant clusters in the vmPFC and dlPFC. Postoperatively, however, no fasted vs. fed differences in neural responsivity were noted. Results were opposite to that predicted and appear inconsistent with the initial hypothesis that postoperative increases in postprandial gut peptides are the primary driver of postoperative changes in neural responsivity.

Gut feelings about diabetes

Studies of patients going into diabetes remission after gastric bypass surgery have demonstrated the important role of the gut in glucose control. The improvement of type 2 diabetes after gastric bypass surgery occurs via weight dependent and weight independent mechanisms. The rapid improvement of glucose levels within days after the surgery, in relation to change of meal pattern, rapid nutrient transit, enhanced incretin release and improved incretin effect on insulin secretion, suggest mechanisms independent of weight loss. Alternatively, insulin sensitivity improves over time as a function of weight loss. The role of bile acids and microbiome in the metabolic improvement after bariatric surgery remains to be determined. While most patients after bariatric surgery experienced sustained weight loss and improved metabolism, small scale studies have shown weight regain and diabetes relapse, the mechanisms of which remain unknown.