Obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome influence on intestinal permeability at fasting, and modify the effect of diverse macronutrients on the gut barrier.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized comparative acute macronutrient challenge study in clinical and control cohorts
PubMed 38729719 · doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114338
What was done
A cohort of 53 participants—consisting of 17 non-hyperandrogenic control women, 17 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and 19 men—underwent separate oral challenges with glucose, lipid, and protein loads. Circulating biomarkers of gut barrier dysfunction and endotoxemia (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein [LBP], soluble CD14, succinate, zonulin family peptide, and glucagon-like peptide-2 [GLP-2]) were measured at fasting and during the acute postprandial periods.
What was found
The abstract reports directional findings without numerical values, confidence intervals, or exact p-values: - Lipids induced the most unfavorable and proteins the most favorable acute changes in circulating permeability markers. - Fasting permeability biomarkers were higher in individuals with obesity than non-obese individuals, except for soluble CD14. - PCOS amplified obesity-associated elevations in fasting GLP-2, LBP, and succinate concentrations. - Postprandial LBP, zonulin family peptide, and GLP-2 responses to glucose and lipid loads were altered by obesity, with specific obesity-by-PCOS interactions observed for succinate, zonulin family peptide, and GLP-2 responses.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that gut barrier dysfunction and endotoxemia in PCOS are modulated by underlying adiposity and specific macronutrient intake, highlighting potential dietary targets to mitigate subclinical chronic inflammation.
Limits
The abstract provides no exact numerical measurements, standard deviations, or effect sizes. The sample size is modest (n = 53 across three groups). Intestinal permeability and endotoxemia were evaluated solely via surrogate circulating biomarkers rather than direct permeability assays (such as lactulose/mannitol excretion tests).
Cited by
- supports Eating transiently increases intestinal permeability ('leaky gut').