Peptide and steroid hormones in subjects at different risk for diet-related diseases.

Populations eating low-fat or low-fat, high-fiber diets have lower mortality rates for many cancers and coronary heart disease. The importance of nutrient composition in the lumen on absorption and on function of the gastrointestinal tract as a factor in the development of these diseases has not been studied. We investigated the plasma levels of gut-CNS peptide hormones in lean and obese Dutch women fed a high-fat meal and administered cholecystokinin (CCK). After a high-fat meal the increase in plasma CCK was similar in lean and obese women. CCK administration significantly decreased insulin release in lean and obese women, decreased glucagon release in obese women, but caused a rapid increase in plasma glucagon in lean women. Although the CCK response was similar to a fat meal in lean and obese women, differences in the control of peptide hormone release occurred in response to fat meals and CCK administration.