Background
Metabolic surgery has beneficial metabolic effects, including remission of type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that duodenojejunal bypass (DJB) surgery can protect against development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) by enhancing regulation of cellular and molecular pathways that control glucose homeostasis.
Conclusion
DJB does not protect against autoimmune T1D in BBDP/Wor rats, but reduces the need for exogenous insulin and facilitates other metabolic benefits including weight loss, increased GLP-1 secretion, reduced hepatic stress, and altered gut microbiome.
Methods
BBDP/Wor rats, which are prone to develop spontaneous autoimmune T1D, underwent loop DJB (n = 15) or sham (n = 15) surgery at a median age of 41 days, before development of diabetes. At T1D diagnosis, a subcutaneous insulin pellet was implanted, oral glucose tolerance test was performed 21 days later, and tissues were collected 25 days after onset of T1D. Pancreas and liver tissues were assessed by histology and RT-qPCR. Fecal microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S V4 sequencing.
Results
Postoperatively, DJB rats weighed less than sham rats (287.8 vs 329.9 g, P = 0.04). In both groups, 14 of 15 rats developed T1D, at similar age of onset (87 days in DJB vs 81 days in sham, P = 0.17). There was no difference in oral glucose tolerance, fasting and stimulated plasma insulin and c-peptide levels, and immunohistochemical analysis of insulin-positive cells in the pancreas. DJB rats needed 1.3 ± 0.4 insulin implants vs 1.9 ± 0.5 in sham rats (P = 0.002). Fasting and glucose stimulated glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion was elevated after DJB surgery. DJB rats had reduced markers of metabolic stress in liver. After DJB, the fecal microbiome changed significantly, including increases in Akkermansia and Ruminococcus, while the changes were minimal in sham rats.