# sex differences in IBS



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Can J Gastroenterol 2003 Mar;17 3:191-6 Related Articles, Links Sex differences of brain serotonin synthesis in patients with irritable bowel syndrome using a-11Cmethyl-l-tryptophan, positron emission tomography and statistical parametric mapping. Nakai A, Kumakura Y, Boivin M, Rosa P, Diksic M, D'Souza D, Kersey K. Fukui Medical University School of Medicine, Fukui, Japan. BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome IBS is the most common functional bowel disorder and has a strong predominance in women. Recent data suggest that the brain may play an important role in the pathophysiology of IBS in the brain-gut axis. It is strongly suspected that serotonin 5-HT, a neurotransmitter found in the brain and gut, may be related to the pathophysiology of IBS. It is reported that a 5-HT3 antagonist is effective only in female patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, 5-HT synthesis was measured using positron emission tomography, with a-11Cmethyl-l-tryptophan as the tracer, in patients with IBS. The aim of the present study was to compare 5-HT synthesis in the IBS patients with that in the controls, and to compare 5-HT synthesis between male and female IBS patients. METHODS: Six male and six female nonconstipated IBS patients were scanned. Age-matched healthy volunteers were scanned as controls. Eighty minute dynamic scans were performed. Functional 5-HT synthesis images were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. RESULTS: 5-HT synthesis was greater only in the female IBS patients in the right medial temporal gyrus multimodal sensory association cortex compared with the female controls P<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The greater brain 5-HT synthesis in the female IBS patients than in the controls may be related to the pathological visceral pain processing of the IBS patients, a larger female predominance of the disorder, and the sex difference of the efficacy of the 5-HT3 antagonist in treatment.PMID: 12677270 PubMed - in process


----------



## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

interesting info. have you seen these pictures?tom


----------

