Elevated postoperative endogenous GLP-1 levels mediate effects of roux-en-Y gastric bypass on neural responsivity to food cues

OBJECTIVE It has been suggested that weight reduction and improvements in satiety after Rouxen- Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are partly mediated via postoperative neuroendocrine changes. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut hormone secreted after food ingestion and is associatedwith appetite andweight reduction,mediated via effects on the central nervous system(CNS). Secretion of GLP-1 is greatly enhanced after RYGB. We hypothesized that postoperative elevated GLP-1 levels contribute to the improved satiety regulation after RYGB via effects on the CNS. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Effects of the GLP-1 receptor antagonist exendin 9-39 (Ex9-39) and placebo were assessed in 10women before and after RYGB.Weused functionalMRI to investigate CNS activation in response to visual food cues (pictures) and gustatory food cues (consumption of chocolate milk), comparing results with Ex9-39 versus placebo before and after RYGB. RESULTS After RYGB, CNS activation was reduced in the rolandic operculum and caudate nucleus in response to viewing food pictures (P = 0.03) and in the insula in response to consumption of palatable food (P = 0.003). GLP-1 levelswere significantly elevated postoperatively (P < 0.001). After RYGB, GLP-1 receptor blockade resulted in a larger increase in activation in the caudate nucleus in response to food pictures (P = 0.02) and in the insula in response to palatable food consumption (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the effects of RYGB on CNS activation in response to visual and gustatory food cues may be mediated by central effects of GLP-1. Our findings provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying the weight-lowering effects of RYGB.