# Contribution of Nutrient Delivery Rate to Gut-Brain Axis Signaling in Obesity and Bariatric Surgery

> **NIH DK K23** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2026 · $178,740

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Mechanisms underlying sustained weight loss after bariatric surgery remain unclear, though rapid nutrient
delivery is a major candidate driving decreases in caloric intake via the gut-brain axis. Preclinical models have
demonstrated the importance of the gut-brain axis in modulating short- and long-term feeding and taste
preferences through gut-brain neural connections and the endocrine gut peptide response. Our clinical
preliminary data demonstrates that rapid intestinal nutrient infusion (bypassing the stomach) in non-surgical
patients with obesity can mimic the augmented gut-brain endocrine response (e.g. GLP-1) of bariatric surgery.
Our overarching hypothesis is that bariatric surgery induces a chronic state of rapid nutrient delivery leading to
hypersecretion of gut peptides known to signal satiety, slow GI motility, and decrease nutrient-rich food
preference. This sustained and altered enteral delivery modifies nutrient-stimulated, gut endocrine and gut-
brain signaling, which changes feeding behavior and leads to weight loss. In the following project, we will (Aim
1) test the hypothesis that rapid nutrient delivery is associated with augmented GLP-1 and brain fMRI
responses. Human subjects being evaluated for bariatric surgery will undergo non-invasive placement of an
enteral feeding tube for a variable rate glucose infusion into the small intestine, with concurrent measurement
of the rapid brain signaling response using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and gut peptide
endocrine response. Additionally, we will (Aim 2) test the hypothesis that Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) is
associated with faster nutrient absorption compared to Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG). Preoperative and
postoperative measurements of intestinal nutrient uptake will be made with non-metabolizable glucose and
amino acid tracers, with measurement of the corresponding gut peptide endocrine responses to understand
the putative differences in postoperative abso

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11326202
- **Project number:** 5K23DK138261-03
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Vance L Albaugh
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** DK
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $178,740
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2024-08-01T00:00:00 → 2028-04-30T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11326202

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11326202, Contribution of Nutrient Delivery Rate to Gut-Brain Axis Signaling in Obesity and Bariatric Surgery (5K23DK138261-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11326202. Licensed CC0.

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