Stress-induced visceral pain in female rats is associated with epigenetic remodeling in the central nucleus of the amygdala

Abstract

Stress and anxiety contribute to the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a female-predominant disorder of the gut-brain axis, characterized by abdominal pain due to heightened visceral sensitivity. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate in female rats whether epigenetic remodeling in the limbic brain, specifically in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), is a contributing factor in stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity. Our results showed that 1 h exposure to water avoidance stress (WAS) for 7 consecutive days decreased histone acetylation at the GR promoter and increased histone acetylation at the CRH promoter in the CeA. Changes in histone acetylation were mediated by the histone deacetylase (HDAC) SIRT-6 and the histone acetyltransferase CBP, respectively. Administration of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) into the CeA prevented stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity through blockade of SIRT-6 mediated histone acetylation at the GR promoter. In addition, HDAC inhibition within the CeA prevented stress-induced histone acetylation of the CRH promoter. Our results suggest that, in females, epigenetic modifications in the limbic brain regulating GR and CRH expression contribute to stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity and offer a potential explanation of how stress can trigger symptoms in IBS patients.