-Stimulation of cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion by fat is mediated by the products of fat digestion. Ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY), and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) appear to play an important role in appetite regulation, and their release is modulated by food ingestion, including fat. It is unknown whether fat digestion is a prerequisite for their suppression (ghrelin) or release (PYY, PP). Moreover, it is not known whether small intestinal exposure to fat is sufficient to suppress ghrelin secretion. Our study aimed to resolve these issues. Sixteen healthy young males received, on two separate occasions, 120-min intraduodenal infusions of a long-chain triglyceride emulsion (2.8 kcal/min) 1) without (condition FAT) or 2) with (FAT-THL) 120 mg of tetrahydrolipstatin (THL, lipase inhibitor), followed by a standard buffet-style meal. Blood samples for ghrelin, PYY, and PP were taken throughout. FAT infusion was associated with a marked, and progressive, suppression of plasma ghrelin from t ϭ 60 min (P Ͻ 0.001) and stimulation of PYY from t ϭ 30 min (P Ͻ 0.01). FAT infusion also stimulated plasma PP (P Յ 0.01), and the release was immediate. FAT-THL completely abolished the FAT-induced changes in ghrelin, PYY, and PP. In response to the meal, plasma ghrelin was further suppressed, and PYY and PP stimulated, during both FAT and FAT-THL infusions. In conclusion, in healthy humans, 1) the presence of fat in the small intestine suppresses ghrelin secretion, and 2) fat-induced suppression of ghrelin and stimulation of PYY and PP is dependent on fat digestion. lipase inhibition; gut hormone secretion A NUMBER OF GASTROINTESTINAL PEPTIDES play a role in the regulation of energy intake in humans, including cholecystokinin (CCK) (19, 27), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) (13, 17), peptide YY (PYY) (4), pancreatic polypeptide (PP) (5), and ghrelin (42). The secretion of CCK, GLP-1, and PYY from intestinal cells, and PP from the pancreas, is stimulated by meal ingestion or infusion of nutrients into the small intestine (10,18,21,29). In contrast, ghrelin is secreted by the stomach, and plasma concentrations increase during fasting and are suppressed by a meal (7,8).Plasma ghrelin concentrations decrease rapidly following food ingestion, and there is evidence that ghrelin plays a role in meal initiation (7,8). Intravenously administered ghrelin has been shown to stimulate appetite and increase food intake in humans (42). Both carbohydrate and fat, when ingested orally, suppress ghrelin secretion (9, 15), whereas protein may stimulate ghrelin secretion (9) or have no effect (15). Although until recently it has been unclear whether the suppressive effect of carbohydrate and fat on ghrelin secretion is mediated by the presence of nutrients in the stomach, the small intestine, and/or the circulation, recent animal (41) and human (30) studies indicate that the interaction of nutrients with the small intestine is important in the glucose-induced modulation of ghrelin secretion. In rats, the prevention of gastric empty...