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The effect of vertical sleeve gastrectomy on food choice in rats

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 288–295 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Diets high in fat are implicated in the development and maintenance of obesity, and obese individuals display greater preferences for high-fat foods than do their lean counterparts. Weight-reduction bariatric surgery is associated with changes in food choice. In particular, after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), humans and rodents select or prefer foods that are lower in fat content. We asked whether a bariatric surgical procedure limited to the stomach, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), causes a similar reduction of fat intake/preference.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:

Rats received VSG or Sham surgery or remained surgically naïve, and were assessed for food preference using three diet-choice paradigms. Using progressive-ratio (PR) and conditioned taste aversion paradigms, we further asked whether surgically induced changes in food choice are secondary to changes in the reward value of food and/or to the formation of a food aversion. Finally, food choice was compared between VSG- and RYGB-operated rats.

RESULTS:

VSG rats decreased their intake of dietary fat, and shifted their preference toward lower caloric-density foods. This change in food choice was not associated with changes in motivated responding on a PR schedule for either a fat or a carbohydrate food reinforcer. When VSG and RYGB were compared directly, both procedures caused comparable changes in food choice. The conditioned taste aversion paradigm revealed that VSG rats form an aversion to an intra-gastric oil administration whereas RYGB rats do not.

CONCLUSIONS:

VSG and RYGB, two anatomically distinct bariatric procedures, produce similar changes in food choice.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jose Berger, April Haller, Alfor Lewis, Kenneth Parks, Kathi Smith and Mouhamadoul Toure for their surgical expertise in conducting the VSG, RYGB and sham surgeries. We also thank Brad Chambers and Jon Davis for technical assistance with the Progressive-Ratio experiments. This work was supported by the NIH grants DK54890 and DK82480 and Ethicon Endo-Surgery. HWP is supported by the NIH training grant T32 HD07463 and a grant from the Ryan Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. H E Wilson-Pérez and A P Chambers: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    H E Wilson-Pérez, A P Chambers, D A Sandoval, M A Stefater, S C Woods, S C Benoit & R J Seeley

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Correspondence to R J Seeley.

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Competing interests

Randy J Seeley—Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon Endo-Surgery), Zafgen, Merck, Pfizer, Mannkind, Roche; Darleen A Sandoval—Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon Endo-Surgery), Pfizer, Mannkind, Novonordisk and Stephen C Benoit—Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon Endo-Surgery).

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Wilson-Pérez, H., Chambers, A., Sandoval, D. et al. The effect of vertical sleeve gastrectomy on food choice in rats. Int J Obes 37, 288–295 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.18

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