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Plasma obestatin levels are lower in obese and post-gastrectomy subjects, but do not change in response to a meal

International Journal of Obesity volume 32, pages 129–135 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate a potential role for obestatin in humans by examining response to a fixed energy meal.

Context:

A new anorectic peptide hormone, obestatin has recently been isolated from rat stomach. The significance of this peptide in humans is unknown.

Study design:

Case-control study.

Setting:

Hospital-based study.

Patients:

Nine healthy controls, nine morbidly obese subjects and eight post-gastrectomy subjects.

Intervention:

Subjects attended after an overnight fast and were given a fixed energy meal (1550 kJ).

Main outcome measure:

The response of obestatin to a meal in the different groups.

Results:

Fasting obestatin was significantly lower in obese subjects as compared to lean subjects (27.8±4 vs 17.2±2 pg/ml, P=0.03). Obestatin was also decreased in gastrectomy subjects but this did not reach statistical significance (27.8±4 vs 21.9±3 pg/ml, P=0.3). Obestatin did not change significantly from baseline in response to the meal. Lean and obese subjects had a similar obestatin/ghrelin ratio (0.04±0.003 vs 0.05±0.009, P=0.32), but this was higher in the gastrectomy group (0.04±0.003 vs 0.1±0.01, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

Obestatin does not vary significantly with a fixed energy meal, but is significantly lower in morbidly obese subjects as compared to lean subjects supporting a possible role for obestatin in long-term body weight regulation. Obestatin tended to be lower in gastrectomy subjects and their obestatin/ghrelin ratio differed from healthy controls. Hence, the expression of obestatin is altered following gastrectomy, suggesting other sites outside the stomach may also secrete obestatin.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jackie Cleator, Barbara Martin and Janet Cashen for all of their hard work on the study, as well as all of the volunteers who took part. We also thank Norman Usher, Carole Thomas and Andrew Birss for their help with laboratory work, and Rhian Jones for her help with recruitment. Lastly, we thank Pharmacia for sponsorship. This work was supported by an International Endocrine Research Prize from Pharmacia awarded to JP.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Group, Clinical Sciences Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK

    M S B Huda, S P Wong, D Deepak, J Pinkney & J P H Wilding

  2. Department of Clinical Chemistry, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK

    B H Durham & L Ranganath

  3. Department of Surgery, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK

    D Kerrigan & P McCulloch

Authors
  1. M S B Huda
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  2. B H Durham
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  3. S P Wong
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  4. D Deepak
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  5. D Kerrigan
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  6. P McCulloch
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  7. L Ranganath
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  8. J Pinkney
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  9. J P H Wilding
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Correspondence to J P H Wilding.

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Huda, M., Durham, B., Wong, S. et al. Plasma obestatin levels are lower in obese and post-gastrectomy subjects, but do not change in response to a meal. Int J Obes 32, 129–135 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803694

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803694

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