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Physical and Psychological Stress in Rats Enhances Colonic Epithelial Permeability via Peripheral CRH

Digestive Diseases and Sciences volume 47, pages 208–215 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Stress may be a contributing factor in intestinal inflammatory disease; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. We previously reported that acute stress altered jejunal epithelial physiology. In this study, we examined both physical and psychological stress-induced functional changes in colonic mucosa. Colonic mucosal tissue from rats subjected to either 2 hr of cold-restraint stress or 1 hr of water-avoidance stress demonstrated altered ionic transport as well as significantly elevated baseline conductance (ionic permeability) and flux of horseradish peroxidase (macromolecular permeability). Intraperitoneal pretreatment with the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) antagonist, α helical CRH9–41, inhibited the stress-induced abnormalities, while exogenous intraperitoneal administration of CRH, to control rats, mimicked the stress responses and in vitro CRH increased the macromolecular permeability. These results suggest that peripheral CRH mediates stress-induced colonic pathophysiology. We speculate that a stress-induced barrier defect may allow uptake of immunogenic substances into the colonic mucosa, initiating or exacerbating intestinal inflammation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intestinal Disease Research Program, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Paul R. Saunders, Javier Santos, Derrick Yates & Mary H. Perdue

  2. Institute of Neurobiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Nico P.M. Hanssen & Jack A. Groot

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  1. Paul R. Saunders
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  2. Javier Santos
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  3. Nico P.M. Hanssen
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  4. Derrick Yates
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  5. Jack A. Groot
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  6. Mary H. Perdue
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Saunders, P.R., Santos, J., Hanssen, N.P. et al. Physical and Psychological Stress in Rats Enhances Colonic Epithelial Permeability via Peripheral CRH. Dig Dis Sci 47, 208–215 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013204612762

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013204612762

  • colonic mucosa
  • epithelium
  • permeability
  • stress
  • corticotropin-releasing hormone