Background: Although the function of visceral fat has gradually become clear, the effects of its resection on insulin resistance and glucose metabolism are still unknown. This study aimed to clarify the effects of visceral fat resection and gastric banding in an obese diabetic rat model.
Methods: Forty male Zucker diabetic fatty rats were divided into 4 groups: sham operation, visceral fat resection, gastric banding, and gastric banding with visceral fat resection. The rats were followed for 8 weeks after operation, and the change in body weight, amount of food intake, metabolic parameters, insulin tolerance, oral glucose tolerance, and adipocytokines were examined.
Results: Compared with the sham operation and visceral fat resection groups, the gastric banding and gastric banding + visceral fat resection groups showed significant decreases in weight gain and cumulative food intake, as well as improvement in secretion of adipocytokines and in insulin resistance. Although no differences were found between the sham operation and visceral fat resection groups in weight gain and food intake, high-molecular-weight adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-α levels, and insulin resistance were improved in the visceral fat resection group compared with the sham operation group. The gastric banding + visceral fat resection group had greater serum levels of high-molecular-weight adiponectin than did the gastric banding group, but no difference was found between the gastric banding and gastric banding + visceral fat resection groups in insulin resistance and glucose metabolism.
Conclusion: In diabetic fatty rats, the surgical removal of visceral fat effected some improvement in insulin resistance and glucose metabolism. Because the effect was relatively minimal compared with that of gastric banding, visceral fat resection combined with gastric banding did not appear to exert additional effects on insulin resistance and glucose metabolism compared with gastric banding alone.
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