Open AccessStress and the Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis in Visceral Pain: Relevance to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Author(s) -
Moloney Rachel D.,
Johnson Anthony C.,
O'Mahony Siobhain M.,
Dinan Timothy G.,
GreenwoodVan Meerveld Beverley,
Cryan John F.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
cns neuroscience and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1755-5949
pISSN - 1755-5930
DOI - 10.1111/cns.12490
Subject(s) - irritable bowel syndrome , gut flora , gut–brain axis , anxiety , medicine , visceral pain , functional gastrointestinal disorder , population , intestinal permeability , chronic pain , nociception , bioinformatics , psychiatry , immunology , biology , receptor , environmental health
Summary Visceral pain is a global term used to describe pain originating from the internal organs of the body, which affects a significant proportion of the population and is a common feature of functional gastrointestinal disorders ( FGID s) such as irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ). While IBS is multifactorial, with no single etiology to completely explain the disorder, many patients also experience comorbid behavioral disorders, such as anxiety or depression; thus, IBS is described as a disorder of the gut–brain axis. Stress is implicated in the development and exacerbation of visceral pain disorders. Chronic stress can modify central pain circuitry, as well as change motility and permeability throughout the gastrointestinal ( GI ) tract. More recently, the role of the gut microbiota in the bidirectional communication along the gut–brain axis, and subsequent changes in behavior, has emerged. Thus, stress and the gut microbiota can interact through complementary or opposing factors to influence visceral nociceptive behaviors. This review will highlight the evidence by which stress and the gut microbiota interact in the regulation of visceral nociception. We will focus on the influence of stress on the microbiota and the mechanisms by which microbiota can affect the stress response and behavioral outcomes with an emphasis on visceral pain.