Neuromedin U is a gut peptide that alters oral glucose tolerance by delaying gastric emptying via direct contraction of the pylorus and vagal-dependent mechanisms.

The gut-brain peptide neuromedin U (NMU) decreases food intake and body weight and improves glucose tolerance. Here, we characterized NMU as an enteropeptide and determined how it impacts glucose excursion. NMU was expressed predominantly in the proximal small intestine, and its secretion was triggered by ingestion of a mixed meal. Although a single peripheral injection of NMU in C57BL/6NRj mice prevented the rise of glycemia upon an oral but not an intraperitoneal load of glucose, it unexpectedly prevented insulin secretion, only slightly improved peripheral insulin sensitivity, and barely reduced intestinal glucose absorption. Interestingly, peripheral administration of NMU abrogated gastric emptying. NMU receptors 1 and 2 were detected in pyloric muscles and NMU was able to directly induce pyloric contraction in a dose-dependent manner ex vivo in isometric chambers. Using a modified glucose tolerance test, we demonstrate that improvement of oral glucose tolerance by NMU was essentially, if not exclusively, because of its impact on gastric emptying. Part of this effect was abolished in vagotomized (VagoX) mice, suggesting implication of the vagus tone. Accordingly, peripheral injection of NMU was associated with increased number of c-FOS-positive neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract, which was partly prevented in VagoX mice. Finally, NMU kept its ability to improve oral glucose tolerance in obese and diabetic murine models. Together, these data demonstrate that NMU is an enteropeptide that prevents gastric emptying directly by triggering pylorus contraction and indirectly through vagal afferent neurons. This blockade consequently reduces intestinal nutrient absorption and thereby results in an apparent improved tolerance to oral glucose challenge.-Jarry, A.-C., Merah, N., Cisse, F., Cayetanot, F., Fiamma, M.-N., Willemetz, A., Gueddouri, D., Barka, B., Valet, P., Guilmeau, S., Bado, A., Le Beyec, J., Bodineau, L., Le Gall, M. Neuromedin U is a gut peptide that alters oral glucose tolerance by delaying gastric emptying via direct contraction of the pylorus and vagal-dependent mechanisms.

Roux-en-Y Gastric-Bypass and sleeve gastrectomy induces specific shifts of the gut microbiota without altering the metabolism of bile acids in the intestinal lumen.

Some shifts in the gut microbiota composition and its metabolic fingerprints have been associated to Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB). So far, plasma bile acids have been associated with post-operative glucose improvement and weight loss, but nothing is known about their metabolism in the gut lumen. As bile acids are physiologically transformed by the microbiota into various species, the aim of this work was to study how SG and RYGB-associated dysbiosis impact the bioconversion of bile acids in the intestinal lumen. Comparing SHAM (n = 9) with our validated rat models of SG (n = 5) and RYGB (n = 6), we quantified luminal bile acids along the gut and found that the metabolic transformation of bile acids (deconjugation, dehydroxylation, and epimerization) is not different from the duodenum to the colon. However, in the cecum where the biotransformation mainly takes place, we observed deep alterations of the microbiota composition, which were specific of each type of surgery. In conclusion, despite specific dysbiosis after surgery, the bile acids metabolism in the gut lumen is highly preserved, suggesting that a resilience of the gut microbiota occurs after these procedures.

Bariatric surgery induces a new gastric mucosa phenotype with increased functional glucagon-like peptide-1 expressing cells.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) undergoes rapid inactivation by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) suggesting that target receptors may be activated by locally produced GLP-1. Here we describe GLP-1 positive cells in the rat and human stomach and found these cells co-expressing ghrelin or somatostatin and able to secrete active GLP-1 in the rats. In lean rats, a gastric load of glucose induces a rapid and parallel rise in GLP-1 levels in both the gastric and the portal veins. This rise in portal GLP-1 levels was abrogated in HFD obese rats but restored after vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) surgery. Finally, obese rats and individuals operated on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and SG display a new gastric mucosa phenotype with hyperplasia of the mucus neck cells concomitant with increased density of GLP-1 positive cells. This report brings to light the contribution of gastric GLP-1 expressing cells that undergo plasticity changes after bariatric surgeries, to circulating GLP-1 levels.

Intestinal plasticity in response to nutrition and gastrointestinal surgery.

The plasticity of a material corresponds to its capacity to change its feature under the effect of an external action. Intestinal plasticity could be defined as the ability of the intestine to modify its size or thickness and intestinal cells to modulate their absorption and secretion functions in response to external or internal cues/signals. This review will focus on intestinal adaptation mechanisms in response to diet and nutritional status. These physiological mechanisms allow a fine and rapid adaptation of the gut to promote absorption of ingested food, but they can also lead to obesity in response to overnutrition. This plasticity could thus become a therapeutic target to treat not only undernutrition but also obesity. How the intestine adapts in response to 2 types of surgical remodeling of the digestive tract-extensive bowel resection leading to intestinal failure and surgical treatment of pathological obesity (ie, bariatric surgeries)-will also be reviewed.

Impaired Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligand Production by the Gut Microbiota Is a Key Factor in Metabolic Syndrome.

The extent to which microbiota alterations define or influence the outcome of metabolic diseases is still unclear, but the byproducts of microbiota metabolism are known to have an important role in mediating the host-microbiota interaction. Here, we identify that in both pre-clinical and clinical settings, metabolic syndrome is associated with the reduced capacity of the microbiota to metabolize tryptophan into derivatives that are able to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. This alteration is not merely an effect of the disease as supplementation with AhR agonist or a Lactobacillus strain, with a high AhR ligand-production capacity, leads to improvement of both dietary- and genetic-induced metabolic impairments, particularly glucose dysmetabolism and liver steatosis, through improvement of intestinal barrier function and secretion of the incretin hormone GLP-1. These results highlight the role of gut microbiota-derived metabolites as a biomarker and as a basis for novel preventative or therapeutic interventions for metabolic disorders.

Enhanced Ghrelin Levels and Hypothalamic Orexigenic AgRP and NPY Neuropeptide Expression in Models of Jejuno-Colonic Short Bowel Syndrome.

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) patients developing hyperphagia have a better outcome. Gastrointestinal endocrine adaptations help to improve intestinal functions and food behaviour. We investigated neuroendocrine adaptations in SBS patients and rat models with jejuno-ileal (IR-JI) or jejuno-colonic (IR-JC) anastomosis with and without parenteral nutrition. Circulating levels of ghrelin, PYY, GLP-1, and GLP-2 were determined in SBS rat models and patients. Levels of mRNA for proglucagon, PYY and for hypothalamic neuropeptides were quantified by qRT-PCR in SBS rat models. Histology and immunostaining for Ki67, GLP-1 and PYY were performed in SBS rats. IR-JC rats, but not IR-JI, exhibited significantly higher crypt depths and number of Ki67-positive cells than sham. Fasting and/or postprandial plasma ghrelin and PYY concentrations were higher, or tend to be higher, in IR-JC rats and SBS-JC patients than in controls. Proglucagon and Pyy mRNA levels were significantly enhanced in IR-JC rats. Levels of mRNA coding hypothalamic orexigenic NPY and AgRP peptides were significantly higher in IR-JC than in sham rats. We demonstrate an increase of plasma ghrelin concentrations, major changes in hypothalamic neuropeptides levels and greater induction of PYY in SBS-JC rats and patients suggesting that jejuno-colonic continuity creates a peculiar environment promoting further gut-brain adaptations.