Hyperenterostatinemia in premenopausal obese women

Enterostatins [Val-Pro-Asp-Pro-Arg (VPDPR), Val-Pro-Gly-Pro-Arg (VPGPR), an d Ala-Pro-Gly-Pro-Arg (APGPR)] are pentapeptides derived from the NH2-termi nus of procolipase after tryptic cleavage and belong to the family of gut-b rain peptides. Although enterostatin-like immunoreactivities exist in blood , brain, and gut, and exogenous enterostatins decrease fat appetite and ins ulin secretion in rats, the roles of these peptides in human obesity remain to be examined. To determine whether VPDPR and APGPR secretion is altered in obesity, serum VPDPR and APGPR levels were measured in 38 over-night-fas ted subjects (body mass index, 17.9-54.7 kg/m(2)) before and after a meal. The mean fasting VPDPR in the serum of lean subjects was significantly lowe r than that in obese subjects [lean = 603 +/- 86 nmol/L (n = 17); obese, 15 16 +/- 227 nmol/L (n = 21); P = 0.0023]. In addition, the rise in serum APG PR after a meal (postmeal/fasting ratio) was significantly higher in lean t han in obese subjects [lean, 1.71 +/- 0.24 (n = 17); obese, 1.05 +/- 0.14 ( n = 21); P = 0.0332]. The results of these studies show hyperenterostatinem ia in obesity and a diminution in enterostatin secretion after satiety.