Abstract
The colonic response to stress is greater in female rats than in male rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of probiotics in the repeated water avoidance stress (rWAS)-induced colonic microinflammation model of Wistar rats in a sex-specific manner. The three groups (no-stress, WAS, and WAS with probiotics) were exposed to r-WAS for 1 h daily for 10 days, and Lactobacillus farciminis was administered by oral gavage for 10 days to animals in the probiotics group. The visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) was assessed using a barostat and noninvasive manometry before and after WAS exposure. Immunohistochemistry for mast cells and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of mucosal cytokines were performed using distal colon tissue after the animals were sacrificed. Significant reduction of VMR to CRD (visceral analgesia) was observed at 60 mmHg in the female WAS group (P = 0.045), but not in males. In addition, the female WAS with probiotics group showed a significantly lower colonic mucosal mast cell count in comparison to the female WAS group (P = 0.013), but this phenomenon was not observed in the male group. The colonic mucosal mRNA levels of interferon-γ (IFNR), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFA), interleukin (IL) 6, and IL17 were higher in the female WAS group than in the male WAS group. The mRNA levels of IFNR, TNFA, and IL6 were significantly decreased in WAS females who received probiotics (all P < 0.050). In conclusion, rWAS is induced in a sex-specific manner. A 10-day-long treatment with L. farciminis is an effective therapy for rWAS-induced colonic microinflammation in female rates, but not in male rats.
Highlights
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, and symptoms include chronic abdominal pain and change in bowel habits without structural abnormalities [1]
The FPO of the water avoidance stress (WAS) and WAS with probiotics groups was significantly higher than that of the no-stress group in both male and female rats (Fig 2A and 2B), but there was no significant difference in the FPO between the WAS and WAS with probiotics groups, in both males and females (Fig 2C)
In female rats of the WAS group, the visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) observed at 60 mmHg was lower than that observed at the baseline (P = 0.045)
Summary
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, and symptoms include chronic abdominal pain and change in bowel habits without structural abnormalities [1]. Stress, increased mucosal permeability, visceral hypersensitivity, and microbiota alteration are thought to be possible causes of IBS [2]. Effect of probiotics on chronic stress responses in rats
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