Effects of or yeasts on acute stress induced intestinal dysmotility.

AIM

To investigate the capacity of () and () yeasts to reverse or to treat acute stress-related intestinal dysmotility.

METHODS

Adult Swiss Webster mice were stressed for 1 h in a wire-mesh restraint to induce symptoms of intestinal dysmotility and were subsequently killed by cervical dislocation. Jejunal and colon tissue were excised and placed within a tissue perfusion bath in which , , or their supernatants were administered into the lumen. Video recordings of contractility and gut diameter changes were converted to spatiotemporal maps and the velocity, frequency, and amplitude of propagating contractile clusters (PCC) were measured. Motility pre- and post-treatment was compared between stressed animals and unstressed controls.

RESULTS

and helped to mediate the effects of stress on the small and large intestine. Restraint stress reduced jejunal transit velocity (mm/s) from 2.635 ± 0.316 to 1.644 ± 0.238, < 0.001 and jejunal transit frequency (Hz) from 0.032 ± 0.008 to 0.016 ± 0.005, < 0.001. Restraint stress increased colonic transit velocity (mm/s) from 0.864 ± 0.183 to 1.432 ± 0.329, < 0.001 and frequency to a lesser degree. Luminal application of helped to restore jejunal and colonic velocity towards the unstressed controls; 1.833 ± 0.688 to 2.627 ± 0.664, < 0.001 and 1.516 ± 0.263 to 1.036 ± 0.21, < 0.001, respectively. also had therapeutic effects on the stressed gut, but was most apparent in the jejunum. increased PCC velocity in the stressed jejunum from 1.763 ± 0.397 to 2.017 ± 0.48, = 0.0031 and PCC frequency from 0.016 ± 0.009 to 0.027 ± 0.007, < 0.001. decreased colon PCC velocity from 1.647 ± 0.187 to 1.038 ± 0.222, < 0.001. Addition of or supernatants also helped to restore motility to unstressed values in similar capacity.

CONCLUSION

There is a potential therapeutic role for and yeasts and their supernatants in the treatment of acute stress-related gut dysmotility.