Effects of Obeticholic Acid on Hepatic Fatty Acid/Triglyceride Metabolism and Hepatobiliary Detoxification/Elimination in Morbidly Obese and Gallstone Patients

In a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized trial, 20 otherwise healthy morbidly obese patients scheduled for bariatric surgery, and 20 otherwise healthy gallstone patients will be administered 25 mg/day INT-747 or placebo for three weeks until the day before surgery. Serum from days 1 and 21 will be analyzed for routine liver tests, bile acids, a complete lipid profile including FA and in addition for 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and FGF-19, markers for bile acid synthesis and its intestinal stimulation. For the evaluation of insulin resistance and possible pre-diabetes, plasma will be taken for the estimation of HOMA index and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) will be performed at days 1 and 21. At surgery, a liver biopsy (0.5-1 g) and a white adipose tissue (WAT) specimen (1 cm2) will be taken and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen for mRNA and protein preparation for quantitative RT-PCR and Western analysis, respectively, histopathological NAFLD grading, and measuring of hepatic and WAT lipase activity. In gallstone patients, gallbladder bile will be sampled for the measurements of biliary lipids (cholesterol, phospholipids, bile acids) and the calculation of the cholesterol saturation index.