Some Caveats when Interpreting Surgical Mouse Models of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

Excerpt

Bariatric surgery is the most successful treatment strategy to achieve significant and sustained body weight loss and improved obesity-related comorbidities [1]. However, the mechanisms of this surgery go beyond food restriction and malabsorption and are still poorly understood [2]. To address this, various models of murine bariatric surgery have been devised and utilized successfully. Most of these procedures try to imitate vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) performed in humans. The data obtained from these numerous studies are fascinating, indicating that multiple neural and hormonal pathways are responsible for the beneficial effects observed after bariatric surgery. Despite significant evidence collected in this area, many mechanisms require further elucidation. …