Roux-en-y gastric bypass is more effective than sleeve gastrectomy against hepatic steatosis, in western-diet-obese rats

Purpose: Herein, we compared the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on fat liver deposition and expression of hepatic enzymes involved in hepatic de novo (DN) lipogenesis and β-oxidation, in western diet (WD)-obese rats. Methods: At two months after WD consumption, the rats were divided into three groups: WD sham operation (WD-Sham), WD-RYGB and WD-SG. Three months after procedures, hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism were verified. Results: Both bariatric operations enhanced glucose tolerance and decreased triglycerides (TG) serum levels. However, total serum cholesterol (CHOL) as well as, hepatic TG and CHOL contents were reduced only in liver of WD-RYGB rats. Hepatic steatosis was corrected in 83% of the WD-RYGB rats, whereas microvesicular steatosis occurred in 100% of the WD-SG livers. Reduction in fatty acid synthase protein content was observed in both WD-RYGB and WD-SG rats. Nevertheless, reduced hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and enhanced phospho-ACC/ACC and carnitine palmitoyltransferase protein levels were observed only in WD-RYGB rats. Conclusions: NAFLD is more marked reduced in obese rats that underwent RYGB than SG procedures. This RYGB effect may be associated with decreased hepatic DN lipogenesis, associated with enhancement in β-oxidation, which reduced TG content in the liver of WD rats.