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Gender Differences in Pain and Biomechanical Responses After Acid Sensitization of the Human Esophagus

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Abstract

Our aims were to investigate gender differences to multimodal stimulations of the esophagus after experimentally induced sensitization. Thirty healthy age-matched subjects, 13 males and 17 females, were included. Pain evoked by mechanical and thermal stimuli was assessed before and after perfusion of the lower esophagus with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid. Males were more sensitive to the baseline mechanical stimuli (P < 0.01) and tolerated a lower volume of acid (P = 0.04). After acid perfusion, males were more sensitive than females to distensions (cross-sectional area P = 0.001 and volume P = 0.001). Acid perfusion sensitized both males (P = 0.03) and females (P = 0.04) to heat stimulation but not to cold stimulation (males, P = 0.09; females, P = 0.8). The referral areas for pain evoked by mechanical and thermal stimuli were larger in females compared with males both before and after acid perfusion (P = 0.002). In females only the referred pain area increased to heat stimulations (P = 0.02). Acid infusion resulted in a more hyperreactive esophagus (P = 0.03) but the hyperreactivity was not gender-dependent. In conclusion, males were more sensitive to mechanical and chemical esophageal stimuli and showed acid-evoked mechanical hyperalgesia. Females had significantly larger referred pain areas to the stimulations. The differentiated response to peripheral and central pain mechanisms may explain the gender-related differences seen in several gastrointestinal disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biomechanics and Pain, Department of Medical Gastroenterology, University Hospital Aalborg, DK-9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    Hariprasad Reddy MD, Camilla Staahl MScPharm, Jan Pedersen MD, PhD, Hans Gregersen MD, PhD & Asbjørn Mohr Drewes MD, PhD (Professor)

  2. Laboratory for Experimental Pain Research, Center for Sensory–Motor Interactions, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg

    Hariprasad Reddy MD, Lars Arendt-Nielsen PhD, Camilla Staahl MScPharm, Hans Gregersen MD, PhD & Asbjørn Mohr Drewes MD, PhD (Professor)

  3. Department of Surgical Gastroenterology L, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

    Peter Funch-Jensen MD, PhD

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  1. Hariprasad Reddy MD
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  2. Lars Arendt-Nielsen PhD
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  3. Camilla Staahl MScPharm
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  4. Jan Pedersen MD, PhD
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  6. Hans Gregersen MD, PhD
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  7. Asbjørn Mohr Drewes MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Asbjørn Mohr Drewes MD, PhD.

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Reddy, H., Arendt-Nielsen, L., Staahl, C. et al. Gender Differences in Pain and Biomechanical Responses After Acid Sensitization of the Human Esophagus. Dig Dis Sci 50, 2050–2058 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-005-3006-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-005-3006-x

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