Roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery induces distinct but frequently transient effects on acylcarnitine, bile acid and phospholipid levels

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective method to achieve sustained weight loss, but the mechanisms responsible for RYGB effects have not yet been fully characterized. In this study, we profiled the concentrations of 143 lipid metabolites in dry blood spots (DBS) of RYGB patients. DBS from obese patients (BMI range 35–44 kg/m ² ) were collected 7 days before, 15 and 90 days after the surgery. LC-MS/MS was used to quantify acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins and bile acids. RYGB caused a rapid increase in acylcarnitine levels that proved to be only transient, contrasting with the sustained decrease in phosphatidylcholines and increase of sphingomyelins and bile acids. A PLS-DA analysis revealed a 3-component model (R ² = 0.9, Q ² = 0.74) with key metabolites responsible for the overall metabolite differences. These included the BCAA-derived acylcarnitines and sphingomyelins with 16 and 18 carbons. We found important correlations between the levels of BCAA-derived acylcarnitines and specific sphingomyelins with plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations. Along with the marked weight loss and clinical improvements, RYGB induced specific alterations in plasma acylcarnitines, bile acid and phospholipid levels. This calls for more studies on RYGB effects aiming to elucidate the metabolic adaptations that follow this procedure.