Techniques of Sleeve Gastrectomy and Modified Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in Mice

Obesity is a major public health issue, with a prevalence of 4 to 28% for men and 6.2 to 36.5% for women in Europe (from 2003 to 2008). Morbid obesity is frequently associated with metabolic complications, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, reducing life expectancy and quality. In the absence of any effective noninvasive treatments, bariatric surgery is a valuable therapeutic option for patients with morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m2), leading to long-term, sustained weight loss and improvements in metabolic complications. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms sustaining the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery are not yet fully understood. Due to the numerous genetically-modified strains available, the mouse model is the most convenient animal model to explore the molecular mechanisms behind the pleiotropic beneficial effects of bariatric surgeries. Here, we detailed the optimized healthcare methods and surgical protocols in mice for the two most widely-used bariatric surgeries: the sleeve gastrectomy and the modified Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of bariatric surgeries offers the promise of identifying new therapeutics targets.