الفهرس 
The interplay of corticotrophin releasing factor and serotonin in treating irritable bowel syndrome with the herbal preparation STW5
AbstractOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Background: Exposure to stress has been related to development of functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Stress causes disturbance in corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) level and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) signaling in the brain-gut axis, an effect that is considered as a major predisposing factor for IBS development. The present study aimed to investigate the possible involvement of CRF, 5-HT, and some other stress-related parameters in the effectiveness of the herbal preparation, STW 5, and the prokinetic agent, itopride, against stress-induced IBS.
Methods: Rats were subjected to restraint stress (RS) for 1 h/day for 14 consecutive days to induce IBS-like symptoms. STW 5 (1 ml/Kg and 2.5 ml/Kg) and itopride (20 mg/Kg) were given orally before stress exposure. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were withdrawn, then animals were euthanized and the hippocampi, cerebral cortices, as well as colons were isolated for biochemical and histopathological assessments.
Results: Restraint stress increased the plasma CRF with concomitant increase in the hippocampal and cortical 5-HT levels, as well as mast cell inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress biomarkers, and histopathological inflammatory changes observed in rat colon. It also decreased the colonic content of 5-HT with consequent decrease in fecal pellet output (FPO). Treatment with STW 5 or Itopride protected against these changes.
Conclusion: STW 5 and itopride were shown to be effective in mitigating changes induced by RS in an experimental model of IBS, an effect that could be related to prevention of stress-induced changes in CRF and 5-HT and stress-induced inflammation and oxidative stress.