Effects of oral administration of ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, on anxiety-related behaviors and colonic hypercontractility in repeated stress-induced mice

PURPOSE

Chronic psychological stress develops and exacerbates irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) via activation of intestinal 5-HT3 receptors involves impairment of intestinal functions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, on locomotor activity, anxiety-related behaviors, and colonic functions in repeated water avoidance stress.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Food intake and fecal pellet output (FPO) of sham stress (SS), water avoidance stress (WS), and water avoidance stress with oral administration of ondansetron (1 mg/kg BW) (WA) groups were monitored along the water avoidance stress protocol for 10 consecutive days. On day 11, locomotor activity and anxiety-related behaviors were determined using an open field test. Contractile properties of colonic tissues in response to KCl and a cumulative dose of carbachol (CCh) were determined using in vitro organ bath technique.

RESULTS

FPO was significantly increased in the WS group after 7 days of water avoidance stress, which was reversed in WA group. WS group decreased unsupported rearing behavior compared to WS group, which was not altered in the WA group. The colon of the WS group had a higher tonic contraction in response to CCh than the SS and WA groups, which was reversed with ondansetron pre-incubation.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral administration of ondansetron prevented increased FPO but did not affect anxiety-related behavior in repeated stress model. Colonic hypercontractility in the stressed mice was related to increased responses to cholinergic-induced contractions, which involved 5-HT3 receptors. Our findings suggest the modulatory roles of 5-HT3 receptors to mediate stress-induced colonic dysfunction.

The anxiolytic sertraline reduces the impact of psychological stress on bladder function in mice

AIMS

To determine if treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) sertraline reduces the bladder dysfunction caused by water avoidance stress in mice.

MAIN METHODS

Adult female mice were randomly allocated to (1) Unstressed, (2) Stressed or (3) Stress + Sertraline experimental groups. Stressed mice were subjected to water avoidance for 1 h/day for 10 days and received sertraline or vehicle in drinking water, starting 10-days prior to the first stress exposure. Age matched control/unstressed mice were house under normal conditions without stress exposure. Voiding behaviour was assessed throughout the experimental protocol. After the final stress exposure, a blood sample was taken to measure plasma corticosterone levels and bladders were removed, catheterised and intravesical pressure responses recorded during distension and in response to pharmacological agents.

KEY FINDINGS

Plasma corticosterone levels in sertraline-treated animals were equivalent to unstressed controls and significantly decreased compared to the stressed group. Voiding frequency was significantly increased in the stressed group, and treatment with sertraline significantly decreased voiding frequency, however, this remained elevated compared to unstressed control animals. Bladders from stressed mice displayed enhanced maximal contractile response to the muscarinic agonist carbachol and greater release of ACh in the serosal fluid, which was reduced to control levels by sertraline treatment. Spontaneous phasic contractions were not altered by stress but were significantly reduced in bladders from sertraline treated animals, relative to controls.

SIGNIFICANCE

These results indicate that management of voiding dysfunction caused by psychological stress may be aided by the addition of an SSRI such as sertraline.

Bladder overactivity induced by psychological stress in female mice is associated with enhanced bladder contractility

AIMS

To investigates the effects of water avoidance stress on voiding behaviour and functional bladder responses in mice.

MAIN METHODS

Mice in the Stress group were exposed to water avoidance stress (WAS) for 1 h/day for 10 days, Controls were age-matched and housed normally. Voiding behaviour was measured periodically throughout the stress protocol and bladders were isolated 24-h after final stress exposure to measure bladder compliance, spontaneous phasic activity, contractile responses, and release of urothelial mediators.

KEY FINDINGS

Repeated stress exposure induced a significant increase in plasma corticosterone levels in the WAS group compared to control. An overactive bladder phenotype was observed in WAS mice, causing a significant increase in the number of voiding events observed from as early as day-3, and a 7-fold increase following 10-days' stress. This increase in voiding frequency was associated with a significant decrease in void size, an increase in the number of small voids, but no change in total voided volume. Bladders from stressed mice showed a significant increase in the maximum responses to the muscarinic agonist carbachol (p < 0.01), in addition to enhanced pressure responses to the purinergic agonists ATP (p < 0.05) and αβ-mATP (p < 0.05), and non-receptor mediated contractions to KCl (p < 0.05) compared to controls. Nerve-mediated bladder contractions to electric field stimulation were not significantly affected by stress, nor were spontaneous phasic contractions or release of urothelial ATP and acetylcholine.

SIGNIFICANCE

Repeated exposure to water avoidance stress produced an overactive bladder phenotype, confirmed by increased voiding frequency, and associated with enhanced bladder contractile responses.

Evodiamine inhibits gastrointestinal motility via CCK and CCK1 receptor in water-avoidence stress rat model

AIM

Evodiamine (EVO) has been reported to play an important role in regulating gastrointestinal motility, but the evidence is insufficient, and the mechanism remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible role of EVO in stress-induced colonic hypermotility and the potential mechanisms via both in vivo and in vitro investigations.

METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to water avoidance stress (WAS) for 1 h or sham WAS daily for 10 consecutive days to construct the rat model. The colonic contractile activity was studied in an organ bath system. The serum CCK-8 level was detected using an enzyme immunoassay kit, and gastrointestinal transit was detected by intragastric administration of India ink.

RESULTS

WAS induced gastrointestinal hypermotility in male rats. EVO significantly inhibited the contractile activity of colonic muscle strips; this effect was not blocked by TTX and the CCK₁ receptor antagonist devazepide. Chronic WAS induced a slight but nonsignificant increase in the serum CCK-8 level, while EVO elevated the serum CCK-8 level in the WAS rats in a dose-dependent manner. Exogenous CCK-8 significantly inhibited the contractile activity of the colonic muscle strips; this effect was not blocked by TTX but was completely blocked by devazepide. Both EVO and CCK-8 inhibited gastrointestinal transit, and the effect of EVO could be partially blocked by devazepide.

SIGNIFICANCE

EVO can reverse stress-induced gastrointestinal hypermotility. This effect may partially occur as a result of promoting the release of CCK and then activating the CCK₁ receptor instead of directly activating the CCK₁ receptor.

Psychological stress exacerbates NSAID-induced small bowel injury by inducing changes in intestinal microbiota and permeability via glucocorticoid receptor signaling

BACKGROUND

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are popular painkillers, but they have serious side effects, not only in the upper gastrointestinal tract but also in the small intestine. It is well known that psychological stress may exacerbate various gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether psychological stress exacerbates NSAID enteropathy and to determine the possible underlying mechanisms for this.

METHODS

Experiment 1: mice were exposed to water avoidance stress (WAS) or sham stress for 1 h per day for 8 consecutive days, and then enteropathy was induced by indomethacin. Experiment 2: cecal contents from stress (-) or (+) mice were transplanted into mice that had received antibiotics and in which NSAID enteropathy had been induced without WAS. Experiment 3: mifepristone, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, was injected before WAS for 8 days. Small intestinal injury, mRNA expression of TNFα, intestinal permeability, and the microbial community were assessed.

RESULTS

Psychological stress exacerbated NSAID enteropathy and increased intestinal permeability. Psychological stress induced changes in the ileal microbiota that were characterized by increases in the total number of bacteria and the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria. The increased susceptibility to NSAIDs and intestinal permeability due to WAS was transferable via cecal microbiota transplantation. The increased permeability and aggravation of NSAID enteropathy caused by WAS were blocked by the administration of mifepristone.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated a relationship between NSAID enteropathy and psychological stress, and showed the utility of studying the intestinal microbiota in order to elucidate the pathophysiology of NSAID enteropathy. It also showed the impact of stress on the intestinal microbiota and the mucosal barrier in gastrointestinal diseases.

Repeated Water Avoidance Stress Alters Mucosal Mast Cell Counts, Interleukin-1β Levels with Sex Differences in the Distal Colon of Wistar Rats

Background/Aims

This study was aimed at evaluating differences in the effects of repeated water avoidance stress (rWAS) on colonic movement, mucosal mast cell counts, cytokine levels, and visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) in rats of both sexes.

Methods

Wistar rats were divided into stress and no-stress groups. Rats in the stress group were exposed to rWAS (1 hr/day) for 10 days. Mucosal mast cells were immunohistochemically stained with anti-mast cell tryptase antibody and counted. The colonic mucosal cytokine levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The VMR to CRD (visceral analgesia) was assessed by using a barostat and noninvasive manometry.

Results

The mean number of fecal pellets in the rWAS group increased significantly as compared with that in the no-stress group in both sexes. After adjustment for body weight, the female rats had a significantly higher pellet output than the male rats. The mucosal mast cell count of the female rWAS group was higher than that of the male rWAS group (13.0 ± 0.9 vs 8.8 ± 0.6; P < 0.001). The colonic mucosal interleukin-1β level was also higher only in the female rats of the rWAS group than in those of the no-stress group. On days 10 and 11, a decrease in VMR to CRD was observed at 40 and 60 mmHg in both sexes of the rWAS group, without a sex-based difference.

Conclusions

The colonic response to stress appeared to be more sensitive in the female rats than in the male rats. However, stress-induced visceral analgesia had no sex-related difference and the underlying mechanism needs to be further evaluated.

Targeting immunoproteasome and glutamine supplementation prevent intestinal hyperpermeability

BACKGROUND

Intestinal hyperpermeability has been reported in several intestinal and non-intestinal disorders. We aimed to investigate the role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in gut barrier regulation in two mice models: the water avoidance stress model (WAS) and a post-inflammatory model (post-TNBS).

METHODS

Both models were applied in C57BL/6 male mice (n=7-8/group); Proteasome was targeted by injection of a selective proteasome inhibitor or by using knock-out mice for β2i proteasome subunit. Finally, glutamine supplementation was evaluated.

RESULTS

In both models (WAS at day 10, post-TNBS at day 28), we observed an increase in proteasome trypsin-like activity and in inducible β2/constitutive β2 subunit protein expression ratio, associated with an increase in intestinal permeability. Moreover, intestinal hyperpermeability was blunted by intraperitoneal injection of selective proteasome inhibitor in WAS and post-TNBS mice. Of note, knock-out mice for the β2i subunit exhibited a significant decrease in intestinal permeability and fecal pellet output during WAS. Glutamine supplementation also improved colonic permeability in both models.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the proteasome system is altered in the colonic mucosa of WAS and post-TNBS mice with increased trypsin-like activity. Associated intestinal hyperpermeability was blunted by immunoproteasome inhibition.

Shugan-decoction relieves visceral hyperalgesia and reduces TRPV1 and SP colon expression

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Shugan-decoction (SGD) on visceral hyperalgesia and colon gene expressions using a rat model.

METHODS: Ninety-six adult male Wistar rats were randomized into six equal groups for assessment of SGD effects on psychological stress-induced changes using the classic water avoidance stress (WAS) test. Untreated model rats were exposed to chronic (1 h/d for 10 d consecutive) WAS conditions; experimental treatment model rats were administered with intragastric SGD at 1 h before WAS on consecutive days 4-10 (low-dose: 0.1 g/mL; mid-dose: 0.2 g/mL; high-dose: 0.4 g/mL); control treatment model rats were similarly administered with the irritable bowel syndrome drug, dicetel (0.0042 g/mL); untreated normal control rats received no drug and were not subjected to the WAS test. At the end of the 10-d WAS testing period, a semi-quantitative measurement of visceral sensitivity was made by assessing the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) to colorectal balloon-induced distension (at 5 mmHg increments) to determine the pain pressure threshold (PPT, evidenced by pain behavior). Subsequently, the animals were sacrificed and colonic tissues collected for assessment of changes in expressions of proteins related to visceral hypersensitivity (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, TRPV1) and sustained visceral hyperalgesia (substance P, SP) by immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Inter-group differences were assessed by paired t test or repeated measures analysis of variance.

RESULTS: The WAS test successfully induced visceral hypersensitivity, as evidenced by a significantly reduced AWR pressure in the untreated model group as compared to the untreated normal control group (190.4 ± 3.48 mmHg vs 224.0 ± 4.99 mmHg, P < 0.001). SGD treatments at mid-dose and high-dose and the dicetel treatment significantly increased the WAS-reduced PPT (212.5 ± 2.54, 216.5 ± 3.50 and 217.7 ± 2.83 mmHg respectively, all P < 0.001); however, the low-dose SGD treatment produced no significant effect on the WAS-reduced PPT (198.3 ± 1.78 mmHg, P > 0.05). These trends corresponded to the differential expressions observed for both TRPV1 protein (mid-dose: 1.64 ± 0.08 and high-dose: 1.69 ± 0.12 vs untreated model: 3.65 ± 0.32, P < 0.001) and mRNA (0.44 ± 0.16 and 0.15 ± 0.03 vs 1.39 ± 0.15, P < 0.001) and SP protein (0.99 ± 0.20 and 1.03 ± 0.23 vs 2.03 ± 0.12, P < 0.01) and mRNA (1.64 ± 0.19 and 1.32 ± 0.14 vs 2.60 ± 0.33, P < 0.05). These differential expressions of TRPV1 and SP related to mid- and high-dose SGD treatments were statistically similar to the changes induced by dicetel treatment. No signs of overt damage to the rat system were observed for any of the SGD dosages.

CONCLUSION: Shugan-decoction can reduce chronic stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity in rats, and the regulatory mechanism may involve mediating the expressions of TRPV1 and SP in colon tissues.

Stress-induced visceral analgesia assessed non-invasively in rats is enhanced by prebiotic diet

AIM

To investigate the influence of repeated water avoidance stress (rWAS) on the visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) and the modulation of the response by a prebiotic diet in rats using a novel surgery-free method of solid-state manometry.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats fed a standard diet with or without 4% enzyme-treated rice fiber (ERF) for 5 wk were subjected to rWAS (1 h daily x 10 d) or no stress. The VMR to graded phasic CRD was assessed by intraluminal colonic pressure recording on days 0 (baseline), 1 and 10 (45 min) and 11 (24 h) after rWAS and expressed as percentage change from baseline. Cecal content of short chain fatty acids and distal colonic histology were assessed on day 11.

RESULTS

WAS on day 1 reduced the VMR to CRD at 40 and 60 mmHg similarly by 28.9% ± 6.6% in both diet groups. On day 10, rWAS-induced reduction of VMR occurred only at 40 mmHg in the standard diet group (36.2% ± 17.8%) while in the ERF group VMR was lowered at 20, 40 and 60 mmHg by 64.9% ± 20.9%, 49.3% ± 11.6% and 38.9% ± 7.3% respectively. The visceral analgesia was still observed on day 11 in ERF- but not in standard diet-fed rats. By contrast the non-stressed groups (standard or ERF diet) exhibited no changes in VMR to CRD. In standard diet-fed rats, rWAS induced mild colonic histological changes that were absent in ERF-fed rats exposed to stress compared to non-stressed rats. The reduction of cecal content of isobutyrate and total butyrate, but not butyrate alone, was correlated with lower visceral pain response. Additionally, ERF diet increased rWAS-induced defecation by 26% and 75% during the first 0-15 min and last 15-60 min, respectively, compared to standard diet, and reduced rats' body weight gain by 1.3 fold independently of their stress status.

CONCLUSION

These data provide the first evidence of psychological stress-related visceral analgesia in rats that was enhanced by chronic intake of ERF prebiotic.