Chronic Psychological Stress Induces Gastritis in C57BL/6 Mice with Decreased Production of Hydrogen Sulphide (H 2S) and Microbial Dysbiosis

Abstract

Background: Chronic persistent stress is an important cause of gastritis, but its mechanism still needs research. Methods: Here we have used a mouse model and the water avoidance stress (WAS) test as a model for chronic stress-induced gastritis to investigate underlying mechanisms of this disease; The effect of stress on gastric flora was analyzed based on 16sRNA sequencing; the changes of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and inflammatory cytokines from gastric tissues were detected by western blotting, Elisa, immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR; H&E (Haemotoxylin and Eosin) staining was used for the gastritis histology score. Findings: Consistent with the results of previous studies, gastric H2S was negatively associated with the inflammatory index and may protect the gastrointestinal tract from inflammation. WAS-induced gastritis was associated with a reduction in H2S release, which appeared to affect the homeostasis of the gastric microbiota of mice. Inflammation and microbial dysbiosis were partially reversed by sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) and vitamin B6 (VB6) supplementation, suggesting that VB6 supplementation may have a therapeutic potential for stress-induced gastritis. Interpretation: The secretory disease gastritis can have a serious effect on health and quality of life, with an increasing number of people suffering from chronic gastritis that is linked to a high-stress lifestyle. Our research provides clues to the prevention and treatment of strss-induced gastritis. Funding: The present research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81671978, 81471991, 81772143, 81670486, and 81374101). Declaration of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethical Approval: All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care Committee and Ethics Commission of Shandong University (LL-201602047).