The Interplay between Hormones and Irritable Bowel Disease

Abstract

This thesis examines the underlying mechanisms causing the severe and often debilitating symptoms associated with both Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. These disorders are characterized by, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea, and the symptoms are often intermittent. The variable onset and offset of symptoms suggests that periodic fluctuations in body state or signaling may play a role in the etiology and presentation of symptoms. This thesis proposes that the actions of the main intestinal hormones and their interactions with other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone may explain the oscillatory nature of the symptomatology. Spikes in the hormone progesterone may induce IBS-like symptoms such as cramping and constipation thereby representing a potential mediator of IBS symptoms. Evaluating the hormone progesterone’s role in IBS and IBD may create a new target for therapeutic treatments. Moreover, hormonal-based therapy represents a potential means to treat the cause, rather than just the symptoms of IBS and IBD.