Abstract
A less invasive method than gastric reduction surgery for treating obesity was tested by inserting balloons into the stomachs of obese rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on a high fat diet. After 4 months, the rats weighed an average of 750 g or 23% more than rats on a chow diet. Balloons were then passed orally into the stomach, inflated with 10 ml of water, and detached from the inflating tube. Eight rats had inflated balloons; six rats had no balloons. The balloons, which could be palpated, remained inflated for 12 to 49 days with a mean of 25 days. During the period of inflation, rats with balloons consumed significantly less food (p<0.001) relative to rats without balloons. Gastric emptying rate was significantly slowed (p<0.0025) in rats with inflated balloons compared to rats with balloons that had deflated and rats with no balloons. Histology of the stomachs that held inflated balloons did not reveal pathology.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 399-402 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Physiology and Behavior |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1987 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Body weight
- Food intake
- Gastric balloon
- Obese rats
- Obesity treatment