Unlike the adjustable gastric banding procedure (AGB), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGBP) in humans has an intriguing effect: a rapid and substantial control of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We performed gastric lap-band (GLB) and entero-gastro anastomosis (EGA) procedures in C57Bl6 mice that were fed a high-fat diet. The EGA procedure specifically reduced food intake and increased insulin sensitivity as measured by endogenous glucose production. Intestinal gluconeogenesis increased after the EGA procedure, but not after gastric banding. All EGA effects were abolished in GLUT-2 knockout mice and in mice with portal vein denervation. We thus provide mechanistic evidence that the beneficial effects of the EGA procedure on food intake and glucose homeostasis involve intestinal gluconeogenesis and its detection via a GLUT-2 and hepatoportal sensor pathway.

It is estimated that 16.4 million adults are affected by RVO worldwide, corresponding to 13.9 million with BRVO and 2.5 million with CRVO (1). The classification of RVO into BRVO and CRVO is based on the anatomical site of the vascular occlusion. Although the pathogenesis of RVO is not yet fully understood, an increased secretion of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is observed, and therefore the use of anti-VEGF agents by intravitreal injections has become common (2). Many treatment regimens have been suggested with anti-VEGF agents, such as monthly injections or injections pro re nata (PRN), but the ideal regimen has not been defined (2) and management in the long-term of RVO-related complications and visual loss has not been established (1).

Early diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) remains a clinical challenge, and no biomarker has been consistently validated. We aimed to assess the accuracy of three promising circulating biomarkers for diagnosing AMI—citrulline, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP), and d-lactate. A cross-sectional diagnostic study enrolled AMI patients admitted to the intestinal stroke center and controls with acute abdominal pain of another origin. We included 129 patients—50 AMI and 79 controls. Plasma citrulline concentrations were significantly lower in AMI patients compared to the controls [15.3 μmol/L (12.0–26.0) vs. 23.3 μmol/L (18.3–29.8), p = 0.001]. However, the area under the receiver operating curves (AUROC) for the diagnosis of AMI by Citrulline was low: 0.68 (95% confidence interval = 0.58–0.78). No statistical difference was found in plasma I-FABP and plasma d-lactate concentrations between the AMI and control groups, with an AUROC of 0.44, and 0.40, respectively. In this large cross-sectional study, citrulline, I-FABP, and d-lactate failed to differentiate patients with AMI from patients with acute abdominal pain of another origin. Further research should focus on the discovery of new biomarkers.

Our study suggests that in the third trimester of pregnancy the choroid may be subjected to physiological changes in structure. Whether these changes are a result of hormonal and/or haemodynamic adaptations of pregnancy remains to be studied.