µ-opioid receptor, β-endorphin, and cannabinoid receptor-2 are increased in the colonic mucosa of irritable bowel syndrome patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The gut immune, cannabinoid, and opioid systems constitute an integrated network contributing to visceral sensation and pain modulation. We aimed to assess the expression of the µ-opioid receptor (MOR), its ligand β-endorphin (β-END), and cannabinoid receptor-2 (CB₂ ) in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and asymptomatic controls (AC) and their correlation with sex and symptom perception.

Methods

Mucosal biopsies were obtained from the left colon of 31 IBS patients (45% women) with predominant constipation (IBS-C, 9) or diarrhea (IBS-D, 10) or with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M, 12) and 32 AC (44% women) and processed for qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry.

Key results

µ-opioid receptor and CB₂ mRNA and

SUBMITTER: Dothel G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6791736 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature