GLP-1 and peptide YY secretory response after fat load is impaired by insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes in morbidly obese subjects

Abstract

Objective: Both glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) are gut hormones involved in energy homoeostasis. Obesity, insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia are significant confounders when GLP-1 and PYY secretion is assessed. Thus, we evaluated GLP-1 and PYY response after fat load in morbidly obese patients with different degrees of insulin resistance and glycemic status.

Design: We studied 40 morbidly obese subjects (mean age, 40·6 ± 1·3 years; mean BMI, 53·1 ± 1·2 kg/m(2) ) divided into groups according to their glycemic status: normal fasting glucose (NFG) group, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) group and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) group. NFG patients were additionally subclassified, according to the homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMAIR ), into a low insulin-resistance (LIR) group (HOMAIR <3·9) or a high insulin-resistance (HIR) group (HOMAIR ≥3·9).

Measurements: Lipid emulsion was administered orally and measurements made at baseline and 180 min postprandially of levels of GLP-1, PYY, insulin, glucose, free fatty acids, triglycerides and leptin.

Results: At the 180-minute postprandial reading, GLP-1 and PYY had increased in LIR-NFG subjects (41·84%, P = 0·01; 35·7%, P = 0·05; respectively), whereas no changes were observed in HIR-NFG, IFG or T2D subjects.

Conclusions: These results suggest that in morbidly obese subjects, both insulin resistance and abnormal glucose metabolism (IFG or T2D) impair the GLP-1 and PYY response to fat load. The implications of this attenuated enteroendocrine response should be elucidated by further studies.