A sympathetic gut connection drives the metabolic benefits of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Surgery is regarded by many as the go-to treatment option for severe obesity; yet how physically altering the gastrointestinal tract produces such striking results on body weight and overall metabolic health is poorly understood. In a recent issue of Cell Reports Ye et al. (2020) compare mouse models of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG), the two most commonly performed weight loss surgeries in the clinic today, to show that the former reconfiguring procedure selectively increases resting metabolic rate through splanchnic nerve-mediated browning of mesenteric white fat. More significantly, they demonstrate that this effect for RYGB is required for the maintained negative energy balance and improved glycemic control that it confers.