Stress can significantly impact gut health by tightening the stomach and slowing digestion, especially for individuals with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). While some people quickly recover, others do not. A new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has identified how stress hormones disrupt gut function through a specific nerve network, suggesting potential treatments for stress-related constipation.<\/p>\n
The research, led by Subhash Kulkarni, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and principal investigator at BIDMC, was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The focus is on the enteric nervous system (ENS), known as the \u201csecond brain\u201d of the gastrointestinal tract, which can independently manage digestion but is also influenced by external stress signals. Although it was known that stress hormones affect ENS signaling, the exact mechanism and its reversibility were unclear until now.<\/p>\n
Kulkarni’s team discovered that stress hormones hinder cell communication in the gut, slowing gastrointestinal movement and increasing constipation risk. They traced this issue to a chemical signaling pathway involving the molecule BDNF and its receptor TrkB. By activating this pathway with a compound that stimulates the TrkB receptor, they restored normal gut function in preclinical models.<\/p>\n
HMS research fellow Srinivas N. Puttapaka, who led the study with Jared Slosberg from Johns Hopkins University, highlighted the potential for new IBS treatments by targeting this pathway. The study was supported by various institutions, including the National Institute on Aging and the Harvard Digestive Disease Core.<\/p>\n