Peptide YY induces intestinal proliferation in peptide YY knockout mice with total enteral nutrition after massive small bowel resection

Intestinal adaptation and rehabilitation

Massive intestinal resection is a regrettably necessary but life-saving intervention for progressive or fulminant necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). However, the resultant short bowel syndrome (SBS) poses its own array of challenges and complications. Within hours of such an abrupt loss of intestinal length, the intestine begins to adapt. Our ability to understand this process of intestinal adaptation has proven critical in our ability to clinically treat the challenging problem of short bowel syndrome. This review first highlights key data relating to intestinal adaptation including structural and functional changes, biochemical regulation, and other factors affecting the magnitude of intestinal adaptation responses. We then focus on intestinal rehabilitation as it relates to strategies to enhance intestinal adaptation while meeting nutritional needs and preventing complications of parenteral nutrition.

Ileal Transposition Decreases Plasma Lipopolysaccharide Levels in Association with Increased L Cell Secretion in Non-obese Non-diabetic Rats

BACKGROUND

Chronic exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contributes to metabolic abnormalities, but there has been no study to evaluate plasma LPS levels after ileal transposition (IT). We examined the effect of IT on gut hormone secretion and plasma LPS levels and their correlation with metabolic parameters.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either IT or sham operation. After 4 weeks, oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed and fasting plasma LPS and gut histology were analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with the sham group, food intake and body weight decreased, and insulin sensitivity increased in the IT group. During the OGTTs, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), GLP-2, and peptide YY (PYY) were significantly higher in the IT group than the sham group. The villi length, muscle thickness, and the density of GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide co-expressing cells (K/L-cells) increased in the transposed ileum compared with the ileum of the sham group. Fasting plasma LPS levels were lower in the IT group than the sham group (5.6 ± 0.2 vs. 6.8 ± 0.1 EU/ml, P = 0.002) and significantly correlated with insulin resistance (r = 0.755, P < 0.001). Plasma LPS levels were negatively correlated with PYY secretion (r = -0.710, P = 0.001), and GLP-2 secretion (r = -0.561, P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

IT surgery decreased plasma LPS levels in a non-obese non-diabetic rat model, which was associated with improved insulin sensitivity and increased L-cell secretion.

Contribution of the distal small intestine to metabolic improvement after bariatric/metabolic surgery: Lessons from ileal transposition surgery

Roux-en Y gastric bypass is a highly effective bariatric/metabolic surgical procedure that can induce robust weight loss and even remission of type 2 diabetes. One of the characteristic consequences of Roux-en Y gastric bypass is the expedited nutrient delivery to the distal small intestine, where L-cells are abundant and bile acid reabsorption occurs. To examine the role of the distal small intestine in isolation from other components of Roux-en Y gastric bypass, the ileal transposition (IT) surgery has been used in various rat models. IT relocates the distal ileal segment to the upper jejunum distal to the ligament of Treitz without any other alterations in the gastrointestinal anatomy. Therefore, IT exposes the distal ileal tissue to ingested nutrients after a meal faster than the normal condition. Although there is some inconsistency in the effect of IT according to different types of rat models and different types of surgical protocols, IT typically improved glucose tolerance, increased insulin sensitivity and induced weight loss, and the findings were more prominent in obese diabetic rats. Suggested mechanisms for the metabolic improvements after IT include increased L-cell secretion (e.g., glucagon-like peptides and peptide YY), altered bile acid metabolism, altered host-microbial interaction, attenuated metabolic endotoxemia and many others. Based on the effect of IT, we can conclude that the contribution of the distal small intestine to the metabolic benefits of bariatric/metabolic surgery is quite considerable. By unveiling the mechanism of action of IT, we might revolutionize the treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

In Vivo Models for Incretin Research: From the Intestine to the Whole Body

Incretin hormones are produced by enteroendocrine cells (EECs) in the intestine in response to ingested nutrient stimuli. The incretin effect is defined as the difference in the insulin secretory response between the oral glucose tolerance test and an isoglycemic intravenous glucose infusion study. The pathophysiology of the decreased incretin effect has been studied as decreased incretin sensitivity and/or β-cell dysfunction per se. Interestingly, robust increases in endogenous incretin secretion have been observed in many types of metabolic/bariatric surgery. Therefore, metabolic/bariatric surgery has been extensively studied for incretin physiology, not only the hormones themselves but also alterations in EECs distribution and genetic expression levels of gut hormones. These efforts have given us an enormous understanding of incretin biology from synthesis to in vivo behavior. Further innovative studies are needed to determine the mechanisms and targets of incretin hormones.

Morphological and functional changes in the colon after massive small bowel resection

PURPOSE

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the colon plays an important role after small bowel resection (SBR). However, colonic changes have not previously been studied. The aim of this study was to characterize morphological and functional changes within the colon after SBR and elucidate the influence of diet complexity on adaptation.

METHOD

In study 1, 4-week-old piglets underwent a 75% SBR or sham operation and were studied at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postoperation to allow analysis of early and late adaptation responses. Piglets received a polymeric infant formula (PIF). In study 2, SBR piglets received an elemental diet and were studied at 6 weeks postoperation and compared with SBR + PIF piglets from study 1. For both studies, immunohistochemistry was used to quantitate intestinal cell types. Changes in functional proteins were measured by Western blot, enteroendocrine/peptide YY (PYY), enterocyte/liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), and goblet cells/trefoil factor 3 (TFF3).

RESULTS

In study 1, early and late adaptation-related changes were observed after SBR. Early adaptation included increased numbers of enterocytes (P = .0001), whereas late adaptation included increased proliferative cell numbers (P = .02). Enteroendocrine, goblet, and apoptotic cells numbers were significantly elevated in the resected group at all time-points studied (P < .05). Functional changes included increased levels of L-FABP (P = .04) and PYY (P = .03). There was no change in TFF3 expression. In study 2, feeding with an elemental diet resulted in suboptimal adaptation as evidenced by reduced rate of weight gain and significant reductions in total cell numbers (P = .0001), proliferative (P = .0001) and apoptotic cells (P = .04), enteroendocrine cells (P = .001), and PYY expression (P .004).

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that significant morphological and functional changes occur in the colon after massive SBR and that these occur as early and late adaptation responses. Elemental diet was associated with suboptimal adaptation suggesting an effect of diet complexity on colonic adaptation.

Ghrelin and PYY in the regulation of energy balance and metabolism: lessons from mouse mutants

Effective control of body weight and energy homeostasis requires stringent regulation of caloric intake and energy expenditure. Gut-brain interactions comprise a central axis for the control of energy homeostasis by integrating the intake of nutrients with an effective utilization of ingested calories either by storage or by expenditure as cellular fuel. Ghrelin, a stomach-derived peptide, is the only known circulating orexigenic hormone. It is acylated with a medium-chain fatty acid by the enzyme ghrelin O-acetyltransferase (GOAT) and displays a broad range of activity, from central control of food intake to peripheral functions such as gastric emptying and insulin secretion. PYY, a peptide produced by L cells of the small intestine and rectum, has been shown to inhibit gut motility and is proposed to stimulate a powerful central satiety response. In recent years, pharmacological studies in animals and clinical studies in humans have contributed to our knowledge of principal ghrelin and PYY actions. However, valuable findings from studies using ghrelin-deficient mice, ghrelin receptor [growth hormone secretagogue receptor-1a (GHSR1a)]-deficient mice, double-knockout mice (for ghrelin and GHSR), and GOAT-deficient or -overexpressor mice, as well as mice deficient for PYY or neuropeptide Y receptors have allowed better definition of the actual physiological functions of ghrelin and PYY. This review summarizes findings from mutant mouse studies with emphasis on respective gene knockout and transgenic animals and describes how these studies contribute to the current understanding of how endogenous ghrelin and PYY as two major representatives of endocrine gut-brain communications may regulate energy and glucose homeostasis.