Faculty Collaboration Database

Anti-stress effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on colonic motility in rats. Dig Dis Sci 2012 May;57(5):1213-21

Date

01/20/2012

Pubmed ID

22258717

DOI

10.1007/s10620-012-2040-8

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84863625994 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   26 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Disorders of colonic motility may contribute to symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and stress is widely believed to play a major role in developing IBS. Stress increases corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) of the hypothalamus, resulting in acceleration of colonic transit in rodents. In contrast, hypothalamic oxytocin (OXT) has an anti-stress effect via inhibiting CRF expression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. Although transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and acupuncture have been shown to have anti-stress effects, the mechanism of the beneficial effects remains unknown.

AIMS: We tested the hypothesis that TENS upregulates hypothalamic OXT expression resulting in reduced CRF expression and restoration of colonic dysmotility in response to chronic stress.

METHODS: Male SD rats received different types of stressors for seven consecutive days (chronic heterotypic stress). TENS was applied to the bilateral hind limbs every other day before stress loading. Another group of rats did not receive TENS treatment.

RESULTS: TENS significantly attenuated accelerated colonic transit induced by chronic heterotypic stress, which was antagonized by a central injection of an OXT antagonist. Immunohistochemical study showed that TENS increased OXT expression and decreased CRF expression at the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) following chronic heterotypic stress.

CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that TENS upregulates hypothalamic OXT expression which acts as an anti-stressor agent and mediates restored colonic dysmotility following chronic stress. TENS may be useful to treat gastrointestinal symptoms associated with stress.

Author List

Yoshimoto S, Babygirija R, Dobner A, Ludwig K, Takahashi T

Author

Kirk A. Ludwig MD Chief, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Chronic Disease
Colon
Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
Disease Models, Animal
Feedback, Physiological
Gastrointestinal Motility
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Male
Oxytocin
Pituitary-Adrenal System
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Stress, Psychological
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
Treatment Outcome