title: Chronic stress impairs rat growth and jejunal epithelial barrier function: role of mast cells.
abstract: We examined the impact of chronic stress on rat growth rate and intestinal epithelial physiology and the role of mast cells in these responses. Mast cell-deficient (Ws/Ws) rats and +/+ littermate controls were submitted to water avoidance stress or sham stress, 1 h/day, for 5 days. Seven hours after the last sham or stress session, jejunal segments were mounted in Ussing chambers, in which secretion and permeability were measured. Body weight (as a growth index) and food intake were determined daily. Stress increased baseline jejunal epithelial ion secretion (indicated by short-circuit current), ionic permeability (conductance), and macromolecular permeability (horseradish peroxidase flux) in +/+ rats, but not in Ws/Ws rats, compared with nonstressed controls. Stress induced weight loss and reduced food intake similarly in the groups. In +/+ rats, these parameters remained altered 24-72 h after the cessation of stress. Modulation of stress-induced mucosal mast cell activation may help in the management of certain intestinal conditions involving epithelial pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Intestinal Disease Research Program, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 3Z5.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Perdue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004435:Eating; D006128:Growth; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase