title: Gastric bypass surgery in rats produces weight loss modeling after human gastric bypass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study of the mechanisms of weight loss after bariatric surgery requires an animal model that mimics the human procedure and subsequent weight loss. A rat model eliminates the cognitive efforts associated with human weight loss and gain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A technique for gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB]) was developed in Sprague-Dawley rats. A 1- to 2-cc pouch is created from the uppermost stomach using a linear stapler. A 10-cm biliopancreatic limb and 15-cm Roux limb are anastomosed side to side with running nonabsorbable suture. The gastrojejunostomy is created with a single layer of running nonabsorbable suture. Four rats underwent RYGB. Weight loss was compared to four sham rats that had a midline incision and left 60 min with an open abdomen before closure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RYGB rats lost an average of 16.5% body weight (BW) at 1 week, 22% BW at 2 weeks, 20% BW at 3 weeks, and 11% BW at 4 weeks. The RYGB rat's weight was basically level after 4 weeks. The shams lost an average of 4% BW at 1 week, 1% BW at 2 weeks, and 0% BW at 3 weeks and gained an average of 2% at weeks. Subjectively, the RYGB rats were less interested in chow and frequently had chow left in their cage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A Sprague-Dawley rat model for gastric bypass has been developed and yields approximately 11% BW loss. This will allow investigators to objectively view factors associated with weight loss without the confounding cognitive factors in humans.
authors.affiliation: Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 910 Madison Ave., Suite 208, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA. dtichans@utmem.edu
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Tichansky
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Boughter
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: A Rebecca
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Glatt
authors.forename: Atul K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Madan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite; D004032:Diet; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013536:Suture Techniques; D015431:Weight Loss