Decreased thermogenic response to food with intragastric vs. oral feeding

To examine the effects of sensory stimulations associated with eating on postprandial energy expenditure, thermogenic response to food (TRF) was measured in nine subjects after ingestion of a test meal and after intragastric injection of the same pureed meal through a nasogastric tube. A third measure was made after ingestion of water and a fourth after chewing the meal without deglutition. Each measurement lasted 6 h. Intragastric injection of the meal elicited a lower TRF than oral ingestion in every subject, and this difference was seen whether TRF was calculated from the pretest energy expenditure (PTEE) or from energy expenditure measured after water ingestion (EEW) (175 +/- 57 vs. 83 +/- 32 and 209 +/- 68 vs. 106 +/- 45 kJ for PTEE and EEW, respectively; P less than 0.05 for each test). In both tests, changes in respiratory quotient, plasma glucose, and insulin were similar. Sensory stimulation by the meal without deglutition did not induce a significant change in energy expenditure. These results suggest that TRF has two components in humans, one of which is dependent on preabsorptive sensory stimulations. Lack of change in substrate oxidations between oral and intragastric feeding suggests that TRF related to preabsorptive stimulations does not depend on the preferential use of fatty acids or glucose as a source of fuel.