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Diabetes

The search for mechanisms underlying bariatric surgery

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 9, pages 572–574 (2013)Cite this article

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Bariatric surgery is an effective weight-loss strategy and often results in remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); still, how this surgery affects T2DM is unknown. A new study suggests that fibroblast growth factor 19 and bile acids are involved in remission of T2DM after bariatric surgery.

Key Points

  • Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) leads to weight loss and remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)

  • Levels of bile acids and their intestinal signal, fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19), are increased after RYGB

  • Patients with sustained remission of T2DM after RYGB surgery have the highest increase in serum levels of both FGF-19 and bile acids

  • The bile acid–FGF-19 axis might be an important mechanism by which RYGB improves T2DM

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, Cincinnati, 45229, OH, USA

    Rohit Kohli

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Cincinnati, 2170 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, 45237, OH, USA

    Randy J. Seeley

Authors
  1. Rohit Kohli
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Correspondence to Randy J. Seeley.

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Competing interests

R. Kohli receives a research grant from Ethicon Endo-Surgery. R. J. Seeley has shares and stock options with Zafgen, and consults for and/or receives grant support from Angiochem, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Takeda, Zafgen.

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Kohli, R., Seeley, R. The search for mechanisms underlying bariatric surgery. Nat Rev Endocrinol 9, 572–574 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2013.159

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