Gastric bypass surgery causes sugar-burning gut growth in rats

Intestinal changes could explain rapid improvements in diabetes

SUGAR HIGH  After gastric bypass surgery, the intestines of an obese rat (Roux limb indicated by arrow, right) burn more sugar (bright red and yellow) than before the surgery (left). This boost in sugar use could explain why surgery can rapidly improve diabetes. 

Courtesy of Stylopoulos Laboratory

A beefed-up chunk of intestines might do the heavy lifting of gastric bypass surgery.