HS alleviates fear condition-induced exacerbated colitis by promoting IgA production.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The impact of psychological stress on colitis and the alleviating effects of HS on colitis have been partially explored. However, the effects of panic on colitis and whether HS can mitigate colitis exacerbated by psychological stress remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate whether fear condition exacerbates colitis and its underlying mechanisms, as well as whether HS can alleviate colitis aggravated by psychological stress and the specific mechanisms involved. METHODS: We conducted fear condition modeling in DSS-induced colitis mice to examine whether fear condition exacerbates colitis and whether HS administration can alleviate the exacerbated colitis caused by fear condition. Colonic tissues from different groups of mice were subjected to RNA-seq analysis to explore potential mechanisms. Based on changes in IgA levels, we assessed alterations in IgA-coated bacteria within the gut microbiota of the different groups. Using Rag1mice, we further validated the relationship between HS, IgA, and colitis. Additionally, we knocked down AID expression in B cells to investigate whether HS affects IgA production through AID. Finally, we tested whether HS-mediated promotion of IgA also provides anti-infective effects in Citrobacter rodentium infection. RESULTS: We found that HS alleviates fear condition exacerbated colitis by promoting IgA production and modulating the gut microbiota. The promotion of IgA production by HS in B cells is AID-dependent. Furthermore, HS-mediated IgA enhancement also exhibits anti-infective effects. CONCLUSION: HS can alleviate colitis exacerbated by fear conditioning and exert anti-infective effects by promoting IgA production in B cells.