Assessment of visceral sensitivity using radio telemetry in a rat model of maternal separation

Stress plays an important role in the development of visceral hypersensitivity, a key mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of the irritable bowel syndrome. Visceral sensitivity in rats is generally assessed under restrain conditions. To avoid this potential stress factor, we developed a model us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neurogastroenterology and motility 2005-12, Vol.17 (6), p.838-845
Main Authors: Welting, O., Wijngaard, R. M., Jonge, W. J., Holman, R., Boeckxstaens, G. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Muscles - physiology
Animals
Anxiety, Separation - psychology
Body Weight - physiology
Catheterization
colorectal distention
Electrodes, Implanted
Electromyography
Electrophysiology
Female
Handling (Psychology)
irritable bowel syndrome
Maternal Deprivation
Muscle Contraction - physiology
radio telemetry
rat
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Rectum - physiology
stress
Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
Telemetry
visceral sensitivity
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Summary:Stress plays an important role in the development of visceral hypersensitivity, a key mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of the irritable bowel syndrome. Visceral sensitivity in rats is generally assessed under restrain conditions. To avoid this potential stress factor, we developed a model using implanted radio telemetry for remote measurement of the visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distention (CRD). Ten days after implantation of a radio telemetry transmitter and EMG electrodes, visceral sensitivity was evaluated by applying a standardized distension protocol (1, 1.5 and 2 mL) on three different days. In a second series, visceral sensitivity was assessed in maternally separated rats before, directly after and at 6 and 24 h after water avoidance (WA) stress. CRD resulted in a reproducible VMR response on the three different study days. In separated but not in non‐handled rats, WA significantly increased visceral sensitivity at 6 h (P = 0.006) and 24 h (P = 0.004) after WA. Our results show that radio telemetry is a reliable and well tolerated new tool for evaluating visceral sensitivity in rats. These data further confirm that maternal separation is a good model for evaluating the mechanisms underlying visceral hypersensitivity.
ISSN:1350-1925
1365-2982
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2982.2005.00677.x