Possible molecular mechanism behind gastric bypass success identified

Abstract

Gastric bypass surgery is one of the most successful weight-loss interventions for treating obesity. Now, by performing the surgery on rats, scientists at Leipzig University have identified a molecular pathway between the gut and the brain that may explain the surgery’s underlying success. Gastric bypass surgery reroutes the intestines and creates a much smaller stomach pouch, making patients feel full faster. When Wiebke K. Fenske and colleagues performed the surgery on rats, not only did the rodents lose weight, they also preferred low-fat foods to high-fat foods. At the same time, Fenske’s team saw that the surgery increased synthesis of oleoylethanolamide (OEA) in the intestines, a change they believe is responsible for the weight loss and behavior shift. OEA is a lipid that binds the α-type peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-α), which helps absorb, store, and use fat. When the researchers chemically inhibited PPAR-α in rats that had undergone surgery, their