THE ROLE OF PREBIOTICS ON ALTERTING SMALL INTESTINAL NUTRIENT SENSING MECHANISMS REGULATING FOOD INTAKE AND OBESITY

Abstract

Manipulations of the gut microbiota have been implicated as potential therapeutic options for treatment of metabolic disorders. The ingestion of prebiotics, like oligofructose (OFS), represent a non-invasive way to beneficially alter the gut microbiome. Previous studies have shown that OFS lowers body weight and food intake in humans and rodents, although the mechanisms driving these benefits remain poorly understood. Further, no one has examined whether prebiotics alter the small intestinal microbiota, and whether these alterations impact small intestinal nutrient sensing mechanisms. In this study, high-fat diet (HFD)-fed Sprague Dawley rats were treated with OFS for 6 weeks and food intake, body weight, and adiposity were measured, and rats were tested for nutrient-induced intestinal satiation. Furthermore, small intestinal nutrient receptor and transporter expression was measured, and the small intestinal microbiota composition was analyzed. We found that OFS supplementation decreased body weight gain, food intake, and adiposity; and increased intestinal nutrient-sensing mechanisms during HFD. Lastly, we observed a shift in the composition of the small intestinal microbiota in prebiotic-treated HFD rats. Collectively, these results demonstrate the importance of small intestinal nutrient sensing in mediating the beneficial effects of OFS, and highlight the importance of the small intestinal microbiome in energy regulation.