Short- and Long-Term Changes in Gastric Morphology and Histopathology Following Sleeve Gastrectomy in Diet-Induced Obese Rats

Background Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has been used as a multipurpose surgical procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. The aim of the study was to analyze gastric morphology and histology at two different time points after SG in rats. Methods Thirty-five male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum during 3 months on a high-fat diet to induce obesity. Subsequently, 25 diet-induced obese rats underwent either SG ( n = 12) or a sham operation ( n = 13). The remaining ten obese animals encompassed the nonoperated control group (Co). Four weeks postoperatively, 15 rats ( n = 5 rats/experimental group) were sacrificed, while the remaining 20 rats were sacrificed after 16 weeks (animals/group; Co = 5, sham = 8, SG = 7) to compare the gastric morphological and histopathological changes over time. Body weight and food intake were regularly recorded. Results For both time periods, the Co groups exhibited the highest body weight, while the rats undergoing the SG showed the lowest weight gain ( P