Surgically Induced Changes in Gut Microbiome and Hedonic Eating as Related to Weight Loss: Preliminary Findings in Obese Women Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

Objective: Weight loss surgery results in significant changes in the anatomy, function, and intraluminal environment of the gastrointestinal tract affecting the gut microbiome. Although bariatric surgery results in sustained weight loss, decreased appetite, and hedonic eating, it is unknown whether the surgery-induced alterations in gut microbiota play a role in the observed changes in hedonic eating. We explored the following hypotheses: (1) laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) results in changes in gut microbial composition; (2) alterations in gut microbiota are related to weight loss; (3) alterations in gut microbiome are associated with changes in appetite and hedonic eating.

Influence of sucrose ingestion on brainstem and hypothalamic intrinsic oscillations in lean and obese women.

Background & Aims: The study of intrinsic fluctuations in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal of functional magnetic resonance imaging can provide insight into the effect of physiologic states on brain processes. In an effort to better understand the brain-gut communication induced by the absorption and metabolism of nutrients in healthy lean and obese individuals, we investigated whether ingestion of nutritive and non-nutritive sweetened beverages differentially engages the hypothalamus and brainstem vagal pathways in lean and obese women.

Methods: In a 2-day, double-blind crossover study, 11 lean and 11 obese healthy women underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging scans after ingestion of 2 beverages of different sucrose content, but identical sweetness.

Sex differences in emotion-related cognitive processes in irritable bowel syndrome and healthy control subjects.

Greater responsiveness of emotional arousal circuits in relation to delivered visceral pain has been implicated as underlying central pain amplification in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with female subjects showing greater responses than male subjects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to an emotion recognition paradigm, using faces expressing negative emotions (fear and anger). Sex and disease differences in the connectivity of affective and modulatory cortical circuits were studied in 47 IBS (27 premenopausal female subjects) and 67 healthy control subjects (HCs; 38 premenopausal female subjects).

The HTR3A polymorphism c. -42C>T is associated with amygdala responsiveness in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Background & Aims: 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)3 receptor (5-HT3R) antagonists are effective in treating patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and have anxiolytic effects. Their therapeutic effects are related, in part, to reducing amygdala engagement during expected visceral pain. A single nucleotide polymorphism in HTR3A, c.