Metabolic and Weight Changes After Bariatric Surgery in a Rat Model of Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric plication (GP) are surgical procedures providing weight loss through several mechanisms incompletely understood. Rat models allow the possibility of tight regulation of experimental conditions, making them the ideal candidates for animal models in bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the weight and metabolic changes between sleeve gastrectomy and gastric plication in a rat model with type 2 induced diabetes mellitus and obesity. Fifteen male Wistar rats were fed with DIO food (Bio Serv F3282 - Mouse Diet, High Fat, Fat Calories -60%), after 36 weeks were allocated to the study three arms-SG, GP and sham operation (SO). Four weeks after the surgery the rats were weighted again. Blood tests were performed before surgery and four weeks after surgery searching for blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, and LDL. At the onset of the study, the rats were 9 weeks old and had an average body mass of 231.6g 31.58. After 36 weeks of DIO, one day preoperatively body weight was 774.93g 95.02. The preoperatively average of body weight in the SG group was 777.4g 104.66, 775.4 g 104.6 in the GP group, respectively 772g 79 in the SO group. 4 weeks after surgery the mean body weight in the SG group was 648.8g 99.09, in the GP group was 695.6g 99.09, respectively 825.4g 79.87 in the SO fed ad libitum group. There was a significant decrease of mean fasting glucose levels at 4 weeks postoperative in the SG group compared to the SO group (87.4mg/dL 8.73 versus 103.6 mg/dlL 4.66, p= 0.01). The same trend of mean fasting glucose was registered in the GP group versus the SO group (92.8 5.67 mg/dl vs 103.6 mg/dl 4.66, p=0.01). Our study provides evidence of the positive effects of bariatric surgery for treating patients with morbid obesity associated with diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia and the use of rats to study the mechanisms of weight reduction and metabolic changes in bariatric surgery.