High Fat Diet Alters Gastrointestinal Function and Results in Reduced Enteric Neuron Density.
- 1Laboratory for Intestinal Neuro-Immune Interaction, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- 2Developmental Biology of the Immune System, Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Abstract
Introduction
Obese patients suffer from cardiovascular, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, including constipation, proposed to result from high fat diet (HFD)-induced enteric neuron loss. However, these studies used high-fat purified diets, containing reduced amounts of fiber compared to non-purified diets, known to alter gut physiology and microbiome composition. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of purified HFD-induced obesity on enteric neuron density and gastrointestinal transit compared to its proper control diet, that is, a purified control diet.Methods
Wild type mice were fed a standard chow diet, purified low fat diet (LFD) or HFD. Colonic transit was measured via glass bead expulsion following 12, 18, and 24 weeks of diet. Colonic muscularis externa was collected for immunofluorescent stainings of enteric neurons.Results
Starting from 18 weeks of HFD, a decline in enteric neuron number was observed compared to LFD. In addition, delayed colonic transit was observed in HFD-fed mice when compared to LFD-fed animals after 18 weeks of exposure.Conclusions
Our study demonstrates that prolonged exposure to a HFD results in a reduced enteric neuron density and delayed colonic transit, and underscores the need to use a proper control diet when evaluating the impact of a HFD on gut physiology.
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BibTeX
@article{chaveropieres2026high,
title = {{High Fat Diet Alters Gastrointestinal Function and Results in Reduced Enteric Neuron Density.}},
author = {Marta Chavero-Pieres and Maria Francesca Viola and Zheng Wang and Marcello Delfini and Iris Appeltans and Naomi Fabre and Guy Boeckxstaens and Nathalie Stakenborg},
journal = {Neurogastroenterology and motility},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/nmo.70470},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894465},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - High Fat Diet Alters Gastrointestinal Function and Results in Reduced Enteric Neuron Density.
AU - Marta Chavero-Pieres
AU - Maria Francesca Viola
AU - Zheng Wang
AU - Marcello Delfini
AU - Iris Appeltans
AU - Naomi Fabre
AU - Guy Boeckxstaens
AU - Nathalie Stakenborg
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Neurogastroenterology and motility
DO - 10.1111/nmo.70470
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894465
AB - Introduction Obese patients suffer from cardiovascular, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, including constipation, proposed to result from high fat diet (HFD)-induced enteric neuron loss. However, these studies used high-fat purified diets, containing reduced amounts of fiber compared to non-purified diets, known to alter gut physiology and microbiome composition. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of purified HFD-induced obesity on enteric neuron density and gastrointestinal transit compared to its proper control diet, that is, a purified control diet.Methods Wild type mice were fed a standard chow diet, purified low fat diet (LFD) or HFD. Colonic transit was measured via glass bead expulsion following 12, 18, and 24 weeks of diet. Colonic muscularis externa was collected for immunofluorescent stainings of enteric neurons.Results Starting from 18 weeks of HFD, a decline in enteric neuron number was observed compared to LFD. In addition, delayed colonic transit was observed in HFD-fed mice when compared to LFD-fed animals after 18 weeks of exposure.Conclusions Our study demonstrates that prolonged exposure to a HFD results in a reduced enteric neuron density and delayed colonic transit, and underscores the need to use a proper control diet when evaluating the impact of a HFD on gut physiology.
SN - 1350-1925
SN - 1365-2982
ER -