Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that is more common in females. Despite its high global incidence, the disease mechanism is still unclear and therapeutic options remain limited. The sexual dimorphism in IBS incidence suggests that sex steroids play a role in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.684096/full |
| _version_ | 1830460164805754880 |
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| author | Sik Yu So Sik Yu So Tor C. Savidge Tor C. Savidge |
| author_facet | Sik Yu So Sik Yu So Tor C. Savidge Tor C. Savidge |
| author_sort | Sik Yu So |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that is more common in females. Despite its high global incidence, the disease mechanism is still unclear and therapeutic options remain limited. The sexual dimorphism in IBS incidence suggests that sex steroids play a role in disease onset and symptoms severity. This review considers sex steroids and their involvement in IBS symptoms and the underlying disease mechanisms. Estrogens and androgens play important regulatory roles in IBS symptomology, including visceral sensitivity, gut motility and psychological conditions, possibly through modulating the gut-brain axis. Steroids are regulators of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity and autonomic nervous system function. They also modulate gut microbiota and enteric nervous systems, impacting serotonin and mast cell signaling. Sex steroids also facilitate bidirectional cross-talk between the microbiota and host following bacterial transformation and recycling of steroids by the intestine. The sex-specific interplay between sex steroids and the host provides neuroendocrinology insight into the pathophysiology, epigenetics and treatment of IBS patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:07:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa76def51c2249b6979bc7e3e5deed55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T11:07:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa76def51c2249b6979bc7e3e5deed552022-12-21T19:06:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922021-05-011210.3389/fendo.2021.684096684096Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain AxisSik Yu So0Sik Yu So1Tor C. Savidge2Tor C. Savidge3Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesTexas Children’s Microbiome Center, Department of Pathology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United StatesTexas Children’s Microbiome Center, Department of Pathology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United StatesIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that is more common in females. Despite its high global incidence, the disease mechanism is still unclear and therapeutic options remain limited. The sexual dimorphism in IBS incidence suggests that sex steroids play a role in disease onset and symptoms severity. This review considers sex steroids and their involvement in IBS symptoms and the underlying disease mechanisms. Estrogens and androgens play important regulatory roles in IBS symptomology, including visceral sensitivity, gut motility and psychological conditions, possibly through modulating the gut-brain axis. Steroids are regulators of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity and autonomic nervous system function. They also modulate gut microbiota and enteric nervous systems, impacting serotonin and mast cell signaling. Sex steroids also facilitate bidirectional cross-talk between the microbiota and host following bacterial transformation and recycling of steroids by the intestine. The sex-specific interplay between sex steroids and the host provides neuroendocrinology insight into the pathophysiology, epigenetics and treatment of IBS patients.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.684096/fullsex steroidsirritable bowel syndromegut-brain axisgut microbiotaandrogensestrogens |
| spellingShingle | Sik Yu So Sik Yu So Tor C. Savidge Tor C. Savidge Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis Frontiers in Endocrinology sex steroids irritable bowel syndrome gut-brain axis gut microbiota androgens estrogens |
| title | Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis |
| title_full | Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis |
| title_fullStr | Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis |
| title_short | Sex-Bias in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Linking Steroids to the Gut-Brain Axis |
| title_sort | sex bias in irritable bowel syndrome linking steroids to the gut brain axis |
| topic | sex steroids irritable bowel syndrome gut-brain axis gut microbiota androgens estrogens |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.684096/full |
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