An obese rat model of bariatric surgery with gastric banding

Bariatric surgery is the only treatment that can provide effective long-term weight loss for morbid obesity. However, animal models of bariatric surgery have not yet been well established. The aims of this study were to establish an obese rat model of gastric banding and to determine whether the model would replicate the procedure of human gastric banding in terms of weight loss and metabolic parameters.

27 male Zucker fatty rats were divided into 3 groups: the sham-operated control, gastric banding, and diet treatment groups. They were followed for 8 weeks after surgery, and their body weight change, cumulative food intake and metabolic parameters were examined.

For the sham-operated control, gastric banding, and diet treatment groups, the mean body weights were 644 +/- 28 g, 511 +/- 77 g, and 339 +/- 15 g; % change of weight at 8 weeks after operaion were +63.7 +/- 8.3%, +33.2 +/- 20%, -12.0 +/- 2.0%, respectively. Absolute weekly food intake amounts were 233.8 +/- 38.1 g, 157.3 +/- 64 g, 80 g, and cumulative food intakes were 1862 +/- 111 g, 1258 +/- 375 g and 640 g, respectively. The gastric banding rats showed significant decreases in weight gain, % change of weight, absolute weekly food intake, and cumulative food intake compared to sham-operated control rats (P < 0.05). The banding group also had lower levels of all metabolic parameters compared with controls (P < 0.01), and these levels were equal to those of the diet-treated group.

The present study provides a new animal model of gastric banding using obese rats. This model may be useful in research on the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of morbid obesity.