Gender Differences in Serotonin Signaling in Patients with Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Abstract

Objective Gender differences, including differences in the prevalence, subtypes and the effectiveness of treatment, are generally recognized in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Although serotonin type 3 receptor (5-HT3R) antagonists appear to be more effective in women with diarrhea predominant IBS (IBS-D) than they are in men, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. The aim of the present was to investigate the gender differences in 5-HT signaling. Methods The subjects were selected from outpatients with IBS-D and healthy controls. Their rectal mucosal S100A, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and 5-HT transporter (5-HTT, SERT, SLC6A4) mRNA expression levels were measured. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) and the self-rating depression scale (SDS). Results The study population of 100 subjects included 47 IBS-D patients and 53 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The S100A9 (5.20 vs. 1.90, p=0.001) and SLC6A4 (2.00 vs. 1.00, p=0.019) mRNA levels in the rectal mucosa of women with IBS-D were significantly higher than those in men. Among the healthy controls, the S100A10 expression levels in men were higher than those in women (1.33 vs. 0.82, p=0.005). The S100A8 and S100A10 expression levels in women with IBS-D were positively correlated with their diarrhea scores (r=0.55 and 0.58, p<0.05). Conclusion 5-HT signaling might be a major contributor to the symptoms of IBS in men, and the differences may be associated with the effectiveness of 5-HT3R antagonists.

• Authors: Ryo Katsumata, Akiko Shiotani, Takahisa Murao, Manabu Ishii, Minoru Fujita, Hiroshi Matsumoto, Ken Haruma
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 56 Issue 9 Pg. 993-999 ( 2017) ISSN: 1349-7235 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 28458330 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3
• Serotonin Antagonists
• Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Diarrhea (etiology, physiopathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (complications, physiopathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3 (metabolism)
• Serotonin Antagonists (pharmacology)
• Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins (metabolism)
• Sex Factors
• Signal Transduction (physiology)