La digestion des graisses : des aspects moléculaires à la pathologie

Abstract

Obesity is a severe public health problem in industrialised as well in emergent countries. Considering that dietary fat, because of its high calorific value, plays an important role in the development of obesity, reduction of fat digestion through pancreatic lipase inhibition is now considered as a novel approach in obesity treatment. The isolated C-terminal domain of pancreatic lipase acting as a “protein lure” toward colipase offers a new way for inhibiting intestinal lipolysis by competing with lipase for colipase. In this respect, the C-terminal domain is a very specific inhibitor of pancreatic lipase, compared to the leading obesity drug, orlistat which inhibits the various lipases of the digestive tract. Administration of C-terminal domain to rats fed a high fat diet reduces diet-induced body weight gain and induces an amelioration of fatty liver. Therefore, the C-terminal domain is a strong candidate for an agent that impedes intestinal absorption of dietary fat by inhibiting specifically pancreatic lipase activity.