Investigations into the gastrointestinal control of appetite and food intake / by Rosalie Vozzo.

Abstract

Two broad areas investigated in this thesis are the specific effects mediated by different nutrients present in the gastrointestinal tract, and the involvement of nitric oxide mechanisms in the peripheral regulation of appetite and food intake. These topics were primarily evaluated in healthy young adult humans, but also patients with type 2 diabetes. The thesis investigates some common dietary approaches to reducing weight, the effect of fructose rather than glucose in the diet of non-insulin dependent diabetics, and the role of nitrous oxide as an appetite regulator. The studies reported provide new information on the regulation of appetite food intake by gastrointesinal mechanisms in healthy and type 2 diabetic humans. These observations are expected to contribute to advances in basic appetite physiology and clinically to dietary interventions in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.