Water avoidance stress activates colonic myenteric neurons in female rats.
Stress stimulates colonic motor function and plays a role in functional bowel disorders, prevalently in women. We examined, in conscious female rats, the influence of water avoidance stress for 60 min on colonic myenteric neuron activity using immunohistochemical detection of Fos as a marker of neuronal activity. In control rats, Fos immunoreactive nuclei were rare in proximal and distal colon and no defecation was observed. Water avoidance stimulated fecal pellet output, which was associated with Fos expression in myenteric ganglia of proximal and distal colon including in a population of peripheral choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive neurons. Atropine blocked fecal pellet output but not Fos expression in myenteric ganglia. These results indicate that psychological stress stimulates the activity of colonic cholinergic myenteric neurons.
Miampamba
Marcel
M
Department of Medicine, Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women's Health and CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA. marcel.miampamba@ferring.com
Million
Mulugeta
M
Yuan
Pu-Qing
PQ
Larauche
Muriel
M
Taché
Yvette
Y
D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos