Gut-brain communication: how does it stand after bariatric surgery?

Abstract

Purpose of review: This article aims to critically review the literature, describing the possible implications of different bariatric surgery techniques in gastrointestinal peptides and their relation with the neural paths involved in the central regulation of appetite and satiety: the gut-brain axis.

Recent findings: Bariatric surgery operations change orexigenic and anorexigenic gastrointestinal peptide levels. Forty-one studies were analyzed in order to understand the effects of different operations on the behavior of gut peptides (ghrelin, cholecystokinin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide-1, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, pancreatic polypeptide). The authors have tried to correlate these findings with weight loss/maintenance via different surgical techniques.

Summary: The present line of research is recent and there is a lack of comparability between studies. There are different design approaches and study protocols, different laboratorial exams. Prospective long-term studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the effects of bariatric operations on the gut-brain axis.