Increased plasma levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide are associated with decreased postprandial energy expenditure after modern Japanese meals

Abstract

Purpose: The nutritional changes that have accompanied the modernization of Japanese dietary patterns have led to significant increases in the number of people who are overweight or obese. This study aimed to clarify the effects of these nutritional changes on postprandial energy expenditure and the release of metabolism-regulating hormones.

Methods: The total daily energy content (20 % breakfast, 40 % lunch, and 40 % dinner) and macronutrient composition (carbohydrate/fat/protein) was 8807.3 kJ and 364.3:30.1:66.4 (g) for the traditional test diet and 9217.6 kJ and 331.7:66.1:76.9 (g) for the modern test diet. In experiment 1, nine healthy Japanese men participated in a crossover study during which they ingested a test diet comprising three meals; postprandial blood parameters were measured after each meal. In experiment 2, another ten men participated in a crossover study during which they ingested 2 meals, after which metabolic responses and blood variables were evaluated.

Results: The modern diet induced greater blood levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and ghrelin than did the traditional diet. The expected increase in postprandial energy expenditure (∆REE) tended to be dampened after the modern compared with the traditional diet. GIP was inversely correlated with ∆REE after lunch, and ghrelin was positively associated with ∆REE.

Conclusion: Both GIP and ghrelin are robust indicators of postprandial energy expenditure. The nutritional changes accompanying the modernization of Japanese dietary patterns may increase the levels of the anabolic intestinal hormone GIP, which is associated with ∆REE, in the Japanese population. The contribution of an increased ghrelin concentration to the decreased ∆REE after the modern diet warrants further investigation.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal hormones; Ghrelin; Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide; Japanese meal; Postprandial energy expenditure.

Fig. 1

Blood glucose (a), insulin (b), triglycerides (TG; c), total glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP; d), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA; e), active ghrelin (f), peptide YY (PYY; g), and pancreatic peptide (PP; h) concentrations until 13 h after the consumption of the traditional Japanese test diet (open circles) or modern Japanese test diet (closed circles) in overnight-fasted healthy Japanese men. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 9 in each group) and were analyzed by means of 2-way repeated-measures ANOVA

Fig. 2

Postprandial incremental resting energy expenditure (∆REE) after the consumption of the traditional Japanese test diet (open circles) or modern Japanese test diet (closed circles) in overnight-fasted healthy Japanese men. Baseline values were obtained immediately before the ingestion of the breakfast meal. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 9 in each group) and were analyzed by means of 2-way repeated-measures ANOVA

Fig. 3

Blood glucose (a), insulin (b), triglycerides (TG; c), total glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP; d), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA; e), active ghrelin (f), cholecystokinin (CCK; g), and active glucagon-like peptide-1 (active GLP-1; h) concentrations until 10 h after the consumption of the traditional Japanese test diet (open circles) or modern Japanese test diet (closed circles) in overnight-fasted healthy Japanese men. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 9 in each group) and were analyzed by means of 2-way repeated-measures ANOVA

Fig. 4

Correlation between the postprandial incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for ∆REE and postprandial blood levels of gastrointestinal hormones. a Correlation between iAUC-∆REE after breakfast and iAUC for active ghrelin. b Correlation between iAUC-∆REE after lunch and iAUC for active ghrelin. c, d Correlation of iAUC-∆REE after lunch with the iAUC for total GIP c when the values obtained immediately before ingestion of lunch (at 4 h) were used as baseline data and d when the values obtained immediately before breakfast (at 0 h) were used as the baseline levels. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were obtained when comparing paired samples whose data were not normally distributed. Correlations were considered significant when the error probability was <0.05