IBS & the Brain: New Treatment Approaches
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a widespread digestive issue, impacts the intestine and leads to abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and altered bowel habits.
- Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, led by Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh, have been investigating IBS for a decade.Their recent study, with co-author Toshinori Yoshioka, suggests that opioid...
- The team's work was spurred by links between IBS and psychological stress.
Opioid agonists Show Promise in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a widespread digestive issue, impacts the intestine and leads to abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and altered bowel habits. Affecting roughly one-tenth of people worldwide, the causes of IBS remain elusive, leading to treatments focused on symptom management.
Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, led by Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh, have been investigating IBS for a decade.Their recent study, with co-author Toshinori Yoshioka, suggests that opioid delta-receptor (DOP) agonists could alleviate IBS symptoms by targeting the brain, not the gut, according to findings published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.
The team’s work was spurred by links between IBS and psychological stress. They used a chronic vicarious social defeat stress (cVSDS) model in mice, which mimicked IBS-D symptoms, including intestinal hyperactivity and abdominal pain sensitivity. The model involved mice witnessing aggressive interactions, inducing chronic stress.
Using the cVSDS model, the team explored whether DOP in the brain could be a drug target for stress-induced IBS. Experiments showed that DOP agonists relieved abdominal pain and regulated bowel movements in the stressed mice. Direct request of these agonists to the insular cortex, a brain region, mirrored the effects of systemic treatment.
Saitoh said the research demonstrated that DOP agonists directly impact the central nervous system, improving diarrhea-predominant IBS symptoms in mice by regulating glutamate neurotransmission in the insular cortex.
Saitoh added that DOP agonists could be a new IBS treatment, improving symptoms while also providing anti-stress and emotional regulation effects.He said future clinical developments will aim to expand the use of DOP agonists for IBS, in addition to depression.
What’s next
Future studies will focus on translating these findings to human trials, potentially offering relief to those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and offering a more definitive solution with minimal adverse effects compared to current treatments.