Oxytocin inhibited stress induced visceral hypersensitivity, enteric glial cells activation, and release of proinflammatory cytokines in maternal separated rats

Oxytocin treatment reversed stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity in rats. (A) Maternal separated (MS) rats developed an increased visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) compared to non-separated (NS) rats (two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post-test). (B) VMR to CRD was enhanced 24 h post-water avoidance stress (WAS) in MS rats (MS+WAS considered as a baseline). (C) Rats treated with vehicle exhibit no change in VMR to CRD compared with baseline. (D) Oxytocin (OT) inhibited the visceral hypersensitivity increase 24 h post-WAS compared with baseline. (E) OT significantly inhibited the VH increase 24 h post-WAS compared with vehicle. (F) Atosiban reversed the inhibitory effect of OT in VH. Data are expressed as means ± SEM of n=6 experiments.149