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Dr Gerald Lobley

Research Interests

In Western societies, including Scotland, the rising prevalence of obesity plus the associated co-morbidities of cardio-vascular risk and Type II diabetes (collectively included, with dyslipidaemia, in the term Metabolic Syndrome) has had a major impact on both health care costs and the quality of life of the obese. Government strategies are targeted on the message "eat less and exercise more", but considerable mental discipline is required to meet the first recommendation. A number of different diets strategies, however, do apparently cause satiety at lower energy intake and so weight loss can occur without the subjects feeling hungry. Many of these diets are based on high protein intake and one of the most popular has an associated very low carbohydrate intake (the so-called Atkins' diet). Although the effectiveness of such diets appears clear the underlying mechanisms are not. Furthermore, such diets have been criticised by some nutritionists for being 'unhealthy', due to the relatively low intake of fruit and vegetables and the potential over-consumption of protein and fat. Nonetheless, a number of recent studies have reported that indices of dyslipidaemia and Metabolic Syndrome are often improved (or at least not worsened) during the weight loss achieved on such diets.

Based on studies in both humans and rats the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of intake with such diets will be identified. Initially this will focus on the interaction between the amount (and type) of carbohydrate and the protein content of the diet. Specific strategies will include use of PET scanning in humans to investigate whether known centres of intake control in the brain switch from using glucose to ketones during low carbohydrate intakes. This will be complemented by examination of specific molecular pathways in rats offered diets similar in composition to those used in the human trials. In both species, stable isotope procedures will be used to look at interactions between metabolism of glucose, ketones and amino acids at whole body and organ level. These approaches will also be extended to examine the impacts of both weight loss and changes in pattern of macronutrient intake on aspects of Metabolic Syndrome, notably insulin sensitivity and type II diabetes.

Highlighted Publications

Belenguer A, Duncan SH, Calder AG, Holtrop G, Louis P, Lobley GE, Flint HJ. Two routes of metabolic cross-feeding between Bifidobacterium adolescentis and butyrate-producing anaerobes from the human gut. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 May;72(5):3593-9.

Lobley GE, Wester TJ, Calder AG, Parker DS, Dibner JJ, Vazquez-Anon M. Absorption of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyrate and conversion to methionine in lambs. J Dairy Sci. 2006 Mar;89(3):1072-80.

Hoggard N, Johnstone AM, Faber P, Gibney ER, Elia M, Lobley G, Rayner V, Horgan G, Hunter L, Bashir S, Stubbs RJ. Plasma concentrations of alpha-MSH, AgRP and leptin in lean and obese men and their relationship to differing states of energy balance perturbation. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2004 Jul;61(1):31-9.

Johnstone AM, Faber P, Andrew R, Gibney ER, Elia M, Lobley G, Stubbs RJ, Walker BR. Influence of short-term dietary weight loss on cortisol secretion and metabolism in obese men. Eur J Endocrinol. 2004 Feb;150(2):185-94.

Faber P, Johnstone AM, Gibney ER, Elia M, Stubbs RJ, Roger PL, Milne E, Buchan W, Lobley GE. The effect of rate and extent of weight loss on urea salvage in obese male subjects. Br J Nutr. 2003 Jul;90(1):221-31.