The gastrointestinal tract plays a role in the development and treatment of metabolic diseases. During a meal, the gut provides crucial information to the brain regarding incoming nutrients to allow proper maintenance of energy and glucose homeostasis. This gut–brain communication is regulated by various peptides or hormones that are secreted from the gut in response to nutrients; these signaling molecules can enter the circulation and act directly on the brain, or they can act indirectly via paracrine action on local vagal and spinal afferent neurons that innervate the gut. In addition, the enteric nervous system can act as a relay from the gut to the brain. The current review will outline the different gut–brain signaling mechanisms that contribute to metabolic homeostasis, highlighting the recent advances in understanding these complex hormonal and neural pathways. Furthermore, the impact of the gut microbiota on various components of the gut–brain axis that regulates energy and glucose homeostasis will be discussed. A better understanding of the gut–brain axis and its complex relationship with the gut microbiome is crucial for the development of successful pharmacological therapies to combat obesity and diabetes.

Background Exercise and heat trigger dehydration and an increase in extracellular fluid osmolality, leading to deficits in exercise performance and thermoregulation. Evidence from previous studies supports the potential for deep-ocean mineral water to improve recovery of exercise performance post-exercise. We therefore wished to determine whether acute rehydration and muscle strength recovery was enhanced by deep-ocean mineral water following a dehydrating exercise, compared to a sports drink or mountain spring water. We hypothesized that muscle strength would decrease as a result of dehydrating exercise, and that recovery of muscle strength and hydration would depend on the type of rehydrating fluid. Methods Using a counterbalanced, crossover study design, female ( n = 8) and male ( n = 9) participants performed a dehydrating exercise protocol under heat stress until achieving 3% body mass loss. Participants rehydrated with either deep-ocean mineral water ( Deep ), mountain spring water ( Spring ), or a carbohydrate-based sports drink ( Sports ) at a volume equal to the volume of fluid loss. We measured relative hydration using salivary osmolality (S osm ) and muscle strength using peak torque from a leg extension maneuver. Results S osm significantly increased ( p < 0.0001) with loss of body mass during the dehydrating exercise protocol. Males took less time (90.0 ± 18.3 min; P < 0.0034) to reach 3% body mass loss when compared to females (127.1 ± 20.0 min). We used a mono-exponential model to fit the return of S osm to baseline values during the rehydrating phase. Whether fitting stimulated or unstimulated S osm , male and female participants receiving Deep as the hydrating fluid exhibited the most rapid return to baseline S osm (p < 0.0001) regardless of the fit parameter. Males compared to females generated more peak torque ( p = 0.0005) at baseline (308.3 ± 56.7 Nm vs 172.8 ± 40.8 Nm, respectively) and immediately following 3% body mass loss (276.3 ± 39.5 Nm vs 153.5 ± 35.9 Nm). Participants experienced a loss. We also identified a significant effect of rehydrating fluid and sex on post-rehydration peak torque ( p < 0.0117). Conclusion We conclude that deep-ocean mineral water positively affected hydration recovery after dehydrating exercise, and that it may also be beneficial for muscle strength recovery, although this, as well as the influence of sex, needs to be further examined by future research. Trial registration clincialtrials.gov PRS, NCT02486224 ...

Geisler et al. show that GABAtransaminase catalyzes GABA synthesis in the liver of obese mice, resulting in hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hyperphagia. In people with obesity, liver GABA-transaminase expression is positively associated with hyperinsulinemia. Thus, GABAtransaminase inhibitors may be effective at restoring glucose homeostasis in obese, hyperinsulinemic, insulinresistant individuals.

ObjectiveObesity is associated with consumption of a Western diet low in dietary fiber, while prebiotics reduce body weight. Fiber induces short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, and SCFA administration is beneficial to host metabolic homeostasis. However, the role of endogenous SCFA signaling in the development of obesity is contentious. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate the postprandial time course of SCFA production and uptake in healthy (chow‐fed), Western diet‐fed (high‐fat diet [HFD]) obese, and oligofructose‐treated HFD‐fed (HFD + OFS) rats.MethodsMale Sprague–Dawley rats were maintained on chow or HFD for 5 weeks, with or without supplementation of 10% OFS for 3 weeks. SCFAs were measured in the ileum, cecum, colon, portal vein, and vena cava at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours postprandially.ResultsPostprandial cecal and portal vein SCFAs were decreased in obese rats compared with lean chow controls, whereas no differences were observed in fasting SCFA concentrations. OFS supplementation increased SCFA levels in the cecum and portal vein during obesity. Butyrate levels were positively associated with portal glucagon‐like peptide 1 and adiposity and with Roseburia relative abundance.ConclusionsThe current study demonstrates that obesity is associated with reduced SCFA production, and that OFS supplementation increases SCFA levels. Additionally, postprandial butyrate production appears to be beneficial to host energy homeostasis.

Hepatic lipid accumulation is a hallmark of type II diabetes (T2D) and associated with hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hyperphagia. Hepatic synthesis of GABA, catalyzed by GABAtransaminase (GABA-T), is upregulated in obese mice. To assess the role of hepatic GABA production in obesity-induced metabolic and energy dysregulation, we treated mice with two pharmacologic GABA-T inhibitors and knocked down hepatic GABA-T expression using an antisense oligonucleotide. Hepatic GABA-T inhibition and knockdown decreased basal hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia, and improved glucose intolerance. GABA-T knockdown improved insulin sensitivity assessed by hyperinsulinemiceuglycemic clamps in obese mice. Hepatic GABA-T knockdown also decreased food intake and induced weight loss without altering energy expenditure in obese mice. Data from people with obesity support the notion that hepatic GABA production and transport are associated with serum insulin, HOMA-IR, T2D, and BMI. These results support a key role for hepatocyte GABA production in the dysfunctional glucoregulation and feeding behavior associated with obesity.However, in the liver, GABA-T mediates GABA synthesis 12 . We have proposed that hepatic lipids activate reversed GABA shunt activity in hepatocytes, and that hepatic GABA and glucose production are metabolically linked ). It remains completely untested whether manipulating this GABA shunt can prevent hepatic steatosis derived metabolic disease. Thus, GABA-T represents a promising target to decrease hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance by limiting hepatic GABA production. Accordingly, in the current manuscript, we employed two novel models to limit hepatic GABA production: 1) pharmacologic inhibition of GABA-T activity, and 2) antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) mediated knockdown of hepatic specific GABA-T expression. Using these models for the first time we assessed systemic glucose homeostasis to strengthen the causative role between hepatic GABA production and hyperinsulinemia / insulin resistance. We also assessed food intake and energy expenditure to understand the role of hepatic GABA production in the dysregulation of energy homeostasis in obesity. Results GABA-Transaminase Inhibition Improves Glucose Homeostasis in ObesityTo directly assess the effect of GABA-T in obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction we treated high fat diet-induced obese mice with one of two irreversible GABA-T inhibitors, ethanolamine-Osulphate (EOS) or vigabatrin (8 mg/day). Both reduce hepatic GABA-T activity by over 90% within two days 13 . Through 5 days of treatment, body weight remained similar among EOS, vigabatrin, and saline injected mice (Fig. 1A). Four days of EOS or vigabatrin treatment decreased serum insulin and glucose concentrations and increased the glucose:insulin ratio relative to pre-treatment ( Figs. 1B-1D). Two-weeks washout from EOS or vigabatrin resulted in a return of serum insulin and the glucose:insulin ratio to pretreatment levels (Figs. 1B-1D). EOS treatment (5 days) decreased serum glucagon relat...