.These researchers from Harvard University (Massachusetts, north-east) found significant changes in the intestinal flora of mice underwent gastric bypass surgery in order to reduce the size of their stomachs, a procedure increasingly used to treat obesity.
They transferred these intestinal microbes "altered" in the gut of other mice and observed a rapid weight loss in these animals.
"By colonizing the intestine of mice with altered gut flora by gastric bypass other mice, these animals have lost up to 20% of their weight, just as if they had also undergone this surgery," says Peter Tombaugh , of Harvard University, a lead author of the research.
"Our study leads to the conclusion that the specific effects of gastric bypass on intestinal flora contribute to its ability to cause weight loss," Dr. Lee Lanka tip, director of the Institute on obesity, metabolism and nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, co-author.
"If we can find a way to manipulate the intestinal micro flora to create the same effect, it would open the way for a new weapon against obesity," he says.
"Even if we managed to partially replicate these effects on metabolism without surgery, it would give us a completely new therapy to treat obesity, a serious health problem, which could help patients unable or unwilling to undergo gastric bypass surgery "says Dr. Lanka, an assistant professor of medicine.
Provided it will take years before the results of this study can be replicated in humans, cautions Dr. Tombaugh.
This technique could one day give hope to the great obese, avoiding risks and trauma of gastric bypass surgery, he said.
One-third of American adults are obese or overweight.