Obesity and Lipids: a Matter of Taste?

Over-consumption high sugar and high fat foods was identified as a main risk factor for obesity. The recent identification of lipid-receptor (CD36, GPR120) in human taste buds suggests that lipids could be perceived not only by their texture and their olfactory characteristics, but also by way of taste. Obese subjects tend to consume more high fat foods than lean subjects. Conversely, bariatric surgery induces behavioral changes limiting the consumption of foods high in sugar and fat. The mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes are not understood. Does obesity is accompanied by a distortion of taste detection of dietary lipids? What are the mechanisms involved? Are they reversible? What could be the effect on food choices and health? This protocol is part of a broader research program that aims to answer these questions by studying the feeding behavior in obese subjects and animals before and after a bariatric surgery.

The purpose of the protocol is to determine the impact of bariatric surgery on the expression of taste receptors and taste perceptions and in particular the threshold of perception of fat (and sweet as taste as reference) and to study the association between the changes of taste perceptions and food preferences, amount of weight loss, surgical technique (with or without intestinal bypass), hormonal, metabolic and inflammatory changes, and modification of the oral microbiota. The study will included 50 patients who underwent bariatric surgery, either Roux Y gastric bypass (25 patients) or sleeve gastrectomy (25 patients) that will be explored in the two months before and six months after surgery. These explorations will included a clinical examination with collection of anthropometric data, a body fat determination by impedance, a detailed dietary survey, blood samples for assessment of hormonal parameters (GLP1 , PYY, ghrelin, insulin, leptin) and inflammatory parameters (LPS, TNFalpha, IL-1, IL-6, ...), a tong micro-biopsy to collect taste buds and a sample of oral microbiota and lipids and sugars thresholds determination (linoleic acid or sucrose).