Colonic Lactulose Fermentation Has No Impact on Glucagon-like Peptide-1 and Peptide-YY Secretion in Healthy Young Men

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Peptide YY, published as a randomized controlled trial.

To determine the impact of colonic lactulose fermentation on gut peptide secretion and to evaluate whether colonic endocrine secretion contributes to gut hormone concentrations measurable in the fasting state.

Why It Was Studied

The colon houses most of humans' gut microbiota, which ferments indigestible carbohydrates.

The products of fermentation have been proposed to influence the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) from the many endocrine cells in the colonic epithelium.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were young adults and adults, men only.

For 1 of the lactulose visits, participants underwent a full colonic evacuation.

Over a 6-h study protocol, lactulose fermentation was assessed by measuring exhaled hydrogen, and gut peptide secretion, paracetamol, and short-chain fatty acid levels were measured in plasma.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Peptide YY and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Peptide YY and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

However, little is known about the colonic contribution to fasting or postprandial plasma levels of L-cell products.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Colon, Fermentation, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Glucagon-Like Peptide 1, Healthy Volunteers, Intestinal Mucosa and Lactulose.

The authors tagged it with the keywords GLP-1, PYY and short-chain fatty acids.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and crossover study of Peptide YY.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 4 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2022 (The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Peptide YY compound page, all human trials.