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Hyponeophagia: A Measure of Anxiety in the Mouse
Published on: May 17, 2011
Evidence for visceral hypersensitivity in high-anxiety rats
W D Gunter1, J D Shepard, R D Foreman
1Oklahoma Foundation for Digestive Research, Basic Science Laboratories, V.A. Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Physiology & Behavior
|June 28, 2000
Summary
Genetically determined anxiety in rats correlates with increased visceral sensitivity, particularly in high-anxiety Wistar-Kyoto rats. Colon sensitization further amplifies this heightened visceral response, indicating abnormal gastrointestinal neural activity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Anxiety is frequently linked to visceral pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients.
- This association suggests a potential connection between anxiety predisposition and visceral sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that rats genetically predisposed to anxiety exhibit increased visceral sensitivity.
- To explore the relationship between anxiety levels and the neural responsiveness of the gastrointestinal tract.
Main Methods:
- Visceromotor reflex recordings were employed to measure visceral sensitivity in response to colorectal distention.
- Rats were categorized into high-, moderate-, and low-anxiety groups based on genetic predisposition.
- The study compared responses in both non-sensitized and sensitized colons.
Main Results:
- In non-sensitized rats, colorectal distention elicited greater visceromotor responses, most pronounced in high-anxiety Wistar-Kyoto rats.
- Colon sensitization significantly augmented visceromotor responses across all anxiety levels and rat strains.
- These findings indicate abnormal neural responsiveness in the gastrointestinal tract of high-anxiety animals.
Conclusions:
- A genetically determined anxiety level is associated with visceral hypersensitivity.
- Abnormal neural responsiveness in the gastrointestinal tract may be a manifestation of genetically influenced anxiety.
- The study highlights a potential biological link between anxiety and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
