Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Metabolic bariatric surgery is among the most effective and durable treatments for obesity. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) has become the preferred surgical method to achieve sustained weight loss and reverse obesity-related disease, including dyslipidemias. Human studies have shown that ∼40% of VSG patients can discontinue statin treatment by 6 months. Interestingly, alterations in plasma bile acids and synthesis have been observed after bariatric surgery. Although it is well known that cholesterol is the precursor for all bile acids, the link between changes in plasma cholesterol and bile acids remains unclear in the context of VSG. Here, we present a murine model of VSG that leads to a marked decrease in plasma cholesterol levels despite no difference in body weight compared to sham surgery. Our results demonstrate that gastric resection lowers systemic cholesterol burden by promoting the hepatobiliary elimination of cholesterol through the upregulation of bile acid synthesis. These observations imply that gastric resection impacts overall hepatic physiology and cholesterol homeostasis independent of weight loss.
Source: Journal of Lipid Research
Institution: University of California, Los Angeles
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,430
Funders: American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, Children's Discovery Institute, UCSD-UCLA Diabetes Research Center, Fondation Leducq, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
Awards: The Nuclear Receptor-Aster Pathway in Enterohepatic Metabolism, New pathways for cellular cholesterol transport, G1593270675, New approaches for understanding lipid movement in health and disease, New pathways in intestinal cholesterol transport, G2898305521, G2923804148, G352804211, G3692229207, G4024987012, G50039297, G5064388783, G5289611816, G8498803047, G887292057, G9000140433, G9000252974, Diabetes Research Center (DRC), UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute
OpenAlex ID: W7220941567