scholarly journals Dimensions of Gut Dysfunction in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Altered Sensory Function

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (suppl a) ◽  
pp. 12A-14A ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Azpiroz

Growing evidence suggests that symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be due to a visceral sensory dysfunction. Specifically, it has been shown that patients with IBS have hypersensitive responses to distension of the rectum, whereas their tolerance to somatic stimuli is normal or even increased. Furthermore, patients with IBS have hypersensitivity of the small bowel, which selectively affects mechanosensitive afferents, with normal perception of electrical stimulation of the gut. Sensory dysfunctions may also be associated with altered reflex activity, which may contribute to the clinical symptoms. Normally, a series of mechanisms at different strata of the nervous system modulate visceral afferent input and determine conscious perception. Conceivably, a dysfunction of these regulatory mechanisms may alter sensitivity in clinical conditions. To date, neither the origin nor the clinical significance of visceral hyperalgesia has been elucidated. However, it seems likely that the sensory and reflex dysfunctions of the gut in IBS may combine to different degrees, and their interaction may explain the clinical pleomorphism of the syndrome.

2001 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. A399-A399
Author(s):  
J STEENS ◽  
P SCHAAR ◽  
C LAMERS ◽  
A MASCLEE

2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (2) ◽  
pp. G425-G435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harjot Sidhu ◽  
Mark Kern ◽  
Reza Shaker

Cerebral cortical activity associated with perceived visceral sensation represents registration of afferent transduction and cognitive processes related to perception. Abnormalities of gut sensory function can involve either or both of these processes. Cortical registration of subliminal viscerosensory signals represents cerebral cortical activity induced by stimulation of intestinal sensory neurocircuitry without the influence of perception-related cortical activity, whereas those associated with perception represent both neural circuitry and cognitive processes. Our aims were to determine and compare quantitatively cerebral cortical functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity in response to subliminal, liminal, and nonpainful supraliminal rectal distension between a group of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and age/gender-matched controls. Eight female IBS patients and eight age-matched healthy female control subjects were studied using brain fMRI techniques. Three barostat-controlled distension levels were tested: 1) 10 mmHg below perception (subliminal), 2) at perception (liminal), and 3) 10 mmHg above perception (supraliminal). In control subjects, there was a direct relationship between stimulus intensity and cortical activity volumes, ie., the volume of fMRI cortical activity in response to subliminal (3,226 ± 335 μl), liminal (5,751 ± 396 μl), and supraliminal nonpainful stimulation (8,246 ± 624 μl) were significantly different ( P < 0.05). In contrast, in IBS patients this relationship was absent and fMRI activity volumes for subliminal (2,985 ± 332 μl), liminal (2,457 ± 342 μl), and supraliminal nonpainful stimulation (2,493 ± 351 μl) were similar. Additional recruitment of cortical fMRI activity volume in response to increasing stimulation from subliminal to liminal and supraliminal domains is absent in IBS patients, suggesting a difference in the processing of perceived stimulation compared with controls.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Abbasnezhad ◽  
Reza Amani ◽  
Amin Hasanvand ◽  
Esmaeil Yousefi Rad ◽  
Meysam Alipour ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-374
Author(s):  
Barbara Skrzydło-Radomańska ◽  
Bartosz J. Sapilak

Irritable bowel syndrome is a recurrent abdominal pain that occurs at least once a week for 3 months, with symptoms at least 6 months associated with at least two features: bowel movements, change in bowel frequency, change in the appearance of stools. According to the Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria, the disease is diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms. This does not apply to people over 50 years of age (and in the case of first-degree relatives of patients with colorectal cancer after 45 years of age) and patients with alarm symptoms. Due to the lack of a single etiological factor, the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome consists in reducing symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life. Non-pharmacological treatment includes a high-fiber diet and modification of the microbiota. The most effective drugs are antispasmodics directly affecting the smooth muscle, inhibiting the influx of calcium, i.e. drotaverine, mebeverine and alverine. There has been proven effectiveness of antidepressants. This confirms that functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are a manifestation of the dysfunction of the brain–gut–microbiota axis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eloísa Salvo-Romero ◽  
Cristina Martínez ◽  
Beatriz Lobo ◽  
Bruno K. Rodiño-Janeiro ◽  
Marc Pigrau ◽  
...  

AbstractCorticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been identified in intestinal mucosal eosinophils and associated with psychological stress and gut dysfunction. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is commonly characterized by altered intestinal motility, immune activation, and increased gut barrier permeability along with heightened susceptibility to psychosocial stress. Despite intensive research, the role of mucosal eosinophils in stress-associated gut dysfunction remains uncertain. In this study, we evaluated eosinophil activation profile and CRF content in the jejunal mucosa of diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) and healthy controls (HC) by gene/protein expression and transmission electron microscopy. We also explored the association between intestinal eosinophil CRF and chronic stress, and the potential mechanisms underlying the stress response by assessing eosinophil response to neuropeptides. We found that mucosal eosinophils displayed higher degranulation profile in IBS-D as compared to HC, with increased content of CRF in the cytoplasmic granules, which significantly correlated with IBS clinical severity, life stress background and depression. Eosinophils responded to substance P and carbachol by increasing secretory activity and CRF synthesis and release, without promoting pro-inflammatory activity, a profile similar to that found in mucosal eosinophils from IBS-D. Collectively, our results suggest that intestinal mucosal eosinophils are potential contributors to stress-mediated gut dysfunction through CRF production and release.


1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Md Abdul Ahad ◽  
Quazi Tarikul Islam

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the more common ones encountered in general practice. The illness has a large economic impact on health care use and indirect costs, chiefly through absenteeism. IBS is a bio-psychosocial disorder in which three major mechanisms interact: Psychosocial factors, altered motility, and/or heightened sensory function of the intestine. Treatment of patients is based on positive diagnosis of the symptom complex, limited exclusion of underlying organic disease and institution of a therapeutic trial.   doi: 10.3329/taj.v18i1.3310 TAJ 2005; 18(1): 66-71


2013 ◽  
Vol 305 (8) ◽  
pp. G529-G541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yehuda Ringel ◽  
Nitsan Maharshak

The pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is believed to involve alterations in the brain-gut axis; however, the etiological triggers and mechanisms by which these changes lead to symptoms of IBS remain poorly understood. Although IBS is often considered a condition without an identified “organic” etiology, emerging evidence suggests that alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiota and altered immune function may play a role in the pathogenesis of the disorder. These recent data suggest a plausible model in which changes in the intestinal microbiota and activation of the enteric immune system may impinge upon the brain-gut axis, causing the alterations in gastrointestinal function and the clinical symptoms observed in patients with IBS. This review summarizes the current evidence for altered intestinal microbiota and immune function in IBS. It discusses the potential etiological role of these factors, suggests an updated conceptual model for the pathogenesis of the disorder, and identifies areas for future research.


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