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Vagal Innervation of Intestine Contributes to Weight Loss After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery in Rats

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Abstract

Background

It is conceivable that overstimulation of chemo- and mechano-sensors in the Roux and common limbs by uncontrolled influx of undigested nutrients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) could lead to exaggerated satiety signaling via vagal afferents and contribute to body weight loss. Because previous clinical and preclinical studies using vagotomy came to different conclusions, the aim was to examine the effects of selective and histologically verified celiac branch vagotomy on reduced food intake and body weight loss induced by RYGB.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent either RYGB + celiac branch vagotomy (RYGB/VgX, n = 15), RYGB + sham celiac branch vagotomy (RYGB/Sham VgX; n = 6), Sham RYGB + celiac branch vagotomy (Sham/VgX; n = 6), or sham RYGB + sham celiac branch vagotomy (Sham/Sham; n = 6), and body weight, body composition, and food choice were monitored for 3 months after intervention.

Results

In rats with RYGB, histologically confirmed celiac branch vagotomy significantly moderated weight loss during the first 40 days after surgery, compared to either sham or failed vagotomy (P < 0.05). In contrast, celiac branch vagotomy slightly, but non-significantly, reduced body weight gain in sham RYGB rats compared to sham/sham rats. Furthermore, the significant food intake suppression during the first 32 days after RYGB (P < 0.05) was also moderated in rats with verified celiac branch vagotomy.

Conclusions

The results suggest that signals carried by vagal afferents from the mid and lower intestines contribute to the early RYGB-induced body weight loss and reduction of food intake.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Katie Bailey for editorial help. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants DK 47348 (HRB), DK 071082 (HRB), and DK 068036 (JY).

Conflict of Interest

Except for grant support from the NIH, none of the authors declares a conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurobiology of Nutrition, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA

    Zheng Hao, R. Leigh Townsend, Michael B. Mumphrey, Laurel M. Patterson & Hans-Rudolf Berthoud

  2. Antioxidant & Gene Regulation Laboratories, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA

    Jianping Ye

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  1. Zheng Hao
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Correspondence to Hans-Rudolf Berthoud.

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Hao, Z., Townsend, R.L., Mumphrey, M.B. et al. Vagal Innervation of Intestine Contributes to Weight Loss After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery in Rats. OBES SURG 24, 2145–2151 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-014-1338-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-014-1338-3

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