Journal of Gastrointestinal & Digestive System
Open Access

Abstract

Obesity is a global epidemic which can be treated by better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate short term control of food intake. Short term control of food intake consists of two components, meal size (MS) and intermeal meal interval (IMI) or time between two consecutive meals. In addition, it is known that the mechanisms which control short term food intake are mostly controlled by gut-brain hormones/peptides such as cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP). These peptides are secreted by the I cells and enteric neurons respectively and evoke reduction of MS and prolongation of the IMI. However, the sites of action which regulate these feeding responses, MS and IMI, by CCK and GRP are not known. Our laboratory has been involved in identifying possible gastrointestinal sties of action which regulate MS and IMI length by the two peptides through utilizing an intra-arterial catheterization technique. Through this microvascular surgery various forms and doses of CCK and GRP can be delivered to specific arteries in the gut e.g. celiac artery (CA) which supplies the upper gastrointestinal tract or the cranial mesenteric artery (CMA) which supplies the lower gastrointestinal tract. It was found that the sites of action which control MS by CCK and GRP are different than the sites of action which control the IMI. The upper and lower guts are involved in regulation of MS and IMI by the two peptides. In conclusion, the gut contains sites of actions which control MS and IMI by CCK and GRP.

Biography

Ayman I Sayegh has completed his DVM and PhD from the University of Baghdad (Iraq) and Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine respectively. He is interim head and professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Alabama, USA. He has published more than 50 papers in reputed journals and serving as an editorial board of a number of clinical and biomedical research journals.