We aimed to study the effects of chronic ingestion of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (FOS), an indigestible carbohydrate, on hepatic glucose production, insulin-mediated glucose metabolism, erythrocyte insulin binding, and blood lipids in healthy subjects. Twelve healthy volunteers received either 20 g FOS/d or sucrose for 4 wk in a double-blind crossover design. FOS did not modify fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. Mean (+/- SEM) basal hepatic glucose production was lower after FOS than after sucrose consumption (2.18 +/- 0.10 compared with 2.32 +/- 0.09 mg.kg-1, min-1, respectively; P < 0.02, paired Student's t test). However, neither insulin suppression of hepatic glucose production nor insulin stimulation of glucose uptake measured by hyperinsulinemic clamp was significantly different between the two dietary periods. Erythrocyte insulin binding was also comparable. Serum triacylglycerols, total and high-density- lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoproteins A-I and B, and lipoprotein(a) were not modified by FOS. To try to understand why FOS did not increase serum lipids, the in vitro production of short-chain fatty acids from FOS was evaluated by using human fecal inoculum and compared with that from lactulose, which was found to increase serum lipids. FOS produced an acetate-propionate ratio two times lower than that of lactulose. We conclude that 4 wk of 20 g FOS/d decreased basal hepatic glucose production but had no detectable effect on insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in healthy subjects. The colonic fermentation pattern of undigestible carbohydrates may be relevant to predicting their metabolic effects.

A moderate dose of fish oil did not lead to deleterious effects on glycemic control or whole-body insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic men, with preserved triacylglycerol-lowering capacities.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chronic effects of a short-chain fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS)-containing diet on plasma lipids and the activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in insulin-resistant rats. Normal male Sprague-Dawley rats, 5 wk old, were randomly assigned to two groups and fed either a sucrose-rich diet (S, 575 g sucrose /kg diet and 140 g lipids/kg diet) or a sucrose-rich diet supplemented with 10 g/100 g short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (S/FOS). A third reference group (R) was fed a standard nonpurified diet (g/kg, 575 g starch, 50 g fat). After 3 wk the sucrose-fed rats (compared with the R group) were characterized by the following: 1) higher insulin responses after a glucose challenge (P < 0.05); 2) heavier liver (P < 0.001) and retroperitoneal adipose tissue (P < 0.01); 3) hypertriglyceridemia (P < 0.0001) and higher plasma free fatty acids (P < 0.0001); and 4) higher fatty acid synthase activity in the liver but a low activity in the adipose tissue (P < 0.001). The addition of FOS to the diet resulted in 11% lower liver weight than in the S group (P < 0.05) and tended to result in lower adipose tissue weight (P < 0.11). Plasma triglycerides and plasma free fatty acids were lower in S/FOS- than in S-fed rats (P < 0.05). Chylomicrons + VLDL, and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) concentrations did not differ between groups, nor was plasma cholesterol influenced by diet. Hepatic FAS activity was lower in S/FOS-fed rats than in the S-fed rats (P < 0.05). In adipose tissue, however, this activity tended to be greater in rats fed S/FOS than in rats fed the S diet (P < 0.07). In conclusion, in a rat model of diet-induced (57.5% sucrose and 14% lipids) insulin resistance, the addition of short-chain FOS prevented some lipid disorders, lowered fatty acid synthase activity in the liver and tended to raise this activity in the adipose tissue. Short-chain FOS, in addition to being a nondigestible sweetener with good bulking capacity, might be useful in the treatment of insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia.

The sleeve gastrectomy was safe and effective with no consequences on CD4 counts and viral load in HIV-affected obese patients. It should be considered as a part of the treatment in morbidly obese HIV patients.