[Stress and inflammatory bowell disease (I.B.D). Therapeutic strategies]

Clinical and animal studies indicate that stress can contribute to the onset and/or the worsening of the course of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In a model (inmobilisation stress for 6 h.) in rats it has been demonstrated that stress increases colonic inflammatory damage, as well as antiinflammatory prostaglandins and of the nuclear receptor PPARgamma. This inflammation is followed by an increase in the permeability of the colonic mucosa barrier and a decrease in IgA levels. All these parameters contribute to the bacterial traslocation to other organs. PPARgamma agonists drugs prevent these inflammatory changes as well as the disfunction of the mucosal colonic barrier, which suggests its use in the worsening episodes of IBD produced by stress.