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Guo R, Gao S, Feng X, Liu H, Ming X, Sun J, Luan X, Liu Z, Liu W, Guo F. The GABAergic pathway from anterior cingulate cortex to lateral hypothalamus area regulates irritable bowel syndrome in mice and its underlying mechanism. J Neurochem 2024. [PMID: 38877776 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, has a high global prevalence. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is a pivotal region involved in pain processing, should be further investigated regarding its role in the regulation of visceral sensitivity and mental disorders. A C57BL/6J mouse model for IBS was established using chronic acute combining stress (CACS). IBS-like symptoms were assessed using behavioral tests, intestinal motility measurements, and abdominal withdrawal reflex scores. Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing and immunohistochemistry techniques were employed to investigate the projection of ACC gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing (GABAergic) neurons to the lateral hypothalamus area (LHA). Chemogenetic approaches enabled the selective activation or inhibition of the ACC-LHA GABAergic pathway. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot analyses were conducted to determine the expression of histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). Our findings suggest that CACS induced IBS-like symptoms in mice. The GABA type A receptors (GABAAR) within LHA played a regulatory role in modulating IBS-like symptoms. The chemogenetic activation of ACC-LHA GABAergic neurons elicited anxiety-like behaviors, intestinal dysfunction, and visceral hypersensitivity in normal mice; however, these effects were effectively reversed by the administration of the GABAAR antagonist Bicuculline. Conversely, the chemogenetic inhibition of ACC-LHA GABAergic neurons alleviated anxiety-like behaviors, intestinal dysfunction, and visceral hypersensitivity in the mouse model for IBS. These results highlight the crucial involvement of the ACC-LHA GABAergic pathway in modulating anxiety-like behaviors, intestinal motility alterations, and visceral hypersensitivity, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for alleviating IBS-like symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixiao Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shengli Gao
- Biomedical Center, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xufei Feng
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hua Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xing Ming
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jinqiu Sun
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xinchi Luan
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhenyu Liu
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Weiyi Liu
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Feifei Guo
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Wang H, Liu WJ, Wang XY, Chen XQ, Cai RL, Zhang MT, Wang HT, He GW, Zhang Z, Shen GM. A central amygdala input to the dorsal vagal complex controls gastric motility in mice under restraint stress. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1074979. [PMID: 36875016 PMCID: PMC9975572 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1074979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/aims: Psychological and physiological stress can cause gastrointestinal motility disorders. Acupuncture has a benign regulatory effect on gastrointestinal motility. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. Methods: Herein, we established a gastric motility disorder (GMD) model in the context of restraint stress (RS) and irregular feeding. The activity of emotional center-central amygdala (CeA) GABAergic neurons and gastrointestinal center-dorsal vagal complex (DVC) neurons were recorded by electrophysiology. Virus tracing and patch clamp analysis of the anatomical and functional connection between the CeAGABA → dorsal vagal complex pathways were performed. Optogenetics inhibiting or activating CeAGABA neurons or the CeAGABA → dorsal vagal complex pathway were used to detect changes in gastric function. Results: We found that restraint stress induced delayed gastric emptying and decreased gastric motility and food intake. Simultaneously, restraint stress activated CeA GABAergic neurons, inhibiting dorsal vagal complex neurons, with electroacupuncture (EA) reversing this phenomenon. In addition, we identified an inhibitory pathway in which CeA GABAergic neurons project into the dorsal vagal complex. Furthermore, the use of optogenetic approaches inhibited CeAGABA neurons and the CeAGABA → dorsal vagal complex pathway in gastric motility disorder mice, which enhanced gastric movement and gastric emptying, whereas activation of the CeAGABA and CeAGABA → dorsal vagal complex pathway mimicked the symptoms of weakened gastric movement and delayed gastric emptying in naïve mice. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the CeAGABA → dorsal vagal complex pathway may be involved in regulating gastric dysmotility under restraint stress conditions, and partially reveals the mechanism of electroacupuncture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (School of Life Sciences), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China.,Hefei Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wen-Jian Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xi-Yang Wang
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (School of Life Sciences), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiao-Qi Chen
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (School of Life Sciences), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Rong-Lin Cai
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Meng-Ting Zhang
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (School of Life Sciences), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hai-Tao Wang
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (School of Life Sciences), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guang-Wei He
- Hefei Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry Co., Ltd., Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Department of Biophysics and Neurobiology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guo-Ming Shen
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine (School of Life Sciences), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China
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