A high carbohydrate, but not fat or protein meal attenuates postprandial ghrelin, PYY and GLP-1 responses in Chinese men

Abstract

It is known that the macronutrient content of a meal has different impacts on the postprandial satiety and appetite hormonal responses. Whether obesity interacts with such nutrient-dependent responses is not well characterized. We examined the postprandial appetite and satiety hormonal responses after a high-protein (HP), high-carbohydrate (HC), or high-fat (HF) mixed meal. This was a randomized cross-over study of 9 lean insulin-sensitive (mean±SEM HOMA-IR 0.83±0.10) and 9 obese insulin-resistant (HOMA-IR 4.34±0.41) young (age 21-40 years), normoglycaemic Chinese men. We measured fasting and postprandial plasma concentration of glucose, insulin, active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), total peptide-YY (PYY), and acyl-ghrelin in response to HP, HF, or HC meals. Overall postprandial plasma insulin response was more robust in the lean compared to obese subjects. The postprandial GLP-1 response after HF or HP meal was higher than HC meal in both lean and obese subjects. In obese subjects, HF meal induced higher response in postprandial PYY compared to HC meal. HP and HF meals also suppressed ghrelin greater compared to HC meal in the obese than lean subjects. In conclusion, a high-protein or high-fat meal induces a more favorable postprandial satiety and appetite hormonal response than a high-carbohydrate meal in obese insulin-resistant subjects.

Fig 1

Percentage change from baseline for plasma (A) glucose, and (B) insulin over 6 hours following ingestion of isocaloric and isovolumic high-protein (HP), high-fat (HF), or high-carbohydrate (HC) liquid mixed meals between lean insulin-sensitive (Blue, ●) and obese insulin-resistant (Red, ■) subjects (9 subjects in each group). *P<0.05 for differences between lean and obese in plasma levels at the indicated meal challenge time point.

Fig 2

Percentage change from baseline for plasma ghrelin, PYY, and GLP-1 over 6 hours between lean insulin-sensitive (Blue, ●) and obese insulin-resistant (Red, ■) subjects (2A, 2B, and 2C) and following ingestion of isocaloric and isovolumic high-protein (HP), high-fat (HF), or high-carbohydrate (HC) liquid mixed meals (2D, 2E, and 2F). *P<0.05 for difference between HP vs. HC meal for ghrelin response. **P<0.05 for difference between HP vs. HC meal and HP vs. HF meal for GLP-1 response.