Plasma ghrelin concentratin in the short-term following biliopancreatic diversion

Background: Ghrelin is a hormone that increases food intake in rodents and in humans. After gastric bypass surgery, a marked decrease in circulating ghrelin levels has been observed, and it was suggested that this may contribute to the weight-reducing effect of gastric bypass. In this study, the changes in circulating ghrelin levels following biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) were investigated. Materials and Methods: Serum ghrelin concentration was measured in obese patients prior to and 5 days and 2 months following BPD. Results: At the short-term following BPD, marked reduction of serum ghrelin was observed, while thereafter the values returned to initial levels. Conclusion: Unlike following reducing diet or gastric bypass, following BPD only an initial reduction of serum ghrelin concentration was observed, while at 2 months following the operation, when food intake had nearly completely resumed, the values returned to the preoperative levels. This is consistent with the hypothesis that ghrelin production from the stomach is greatly influenced by the direct contact of ingested food with the gastric cells.