Altered behavior and digestive outcomes in adult male rats primed with minimal colon pain as neonates
2008

Effects of Neonatal Colon Pain on Adult Rats

Sample size: 149 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Wang Jing, Gu Chunping, Al-Chaer Elie D

Primary Institution: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Hypothesis

Does neonatal colon irritation affect growth, digestive outcomes, and behavior in adult rats?

Conclusion

Neonatal colon irritation leads to long-lasting changes in behavior and digestive function in adult rats.

Supporting Evidence

  • Neonatal colon irritation caused long-term visceral hypersensitivity in adult rats.
  • Adult rats exposed to neonatal colon pain showed reduced exploratory behavior.
  • Digestive outcomes varied significantly among rats subjected to neonatal colon irritation.

Takeaway

If baby rats feel pain in their tummies, they might grow up to have tummy troubles and act differently than other rats.

Methodology

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neonatal colon irritation using colorectal distension, and their growth, digestive outcomes, and behavior were measured as adults.

Potential Biases

Potential bias in behavioral assessments due to the subjective nature of the measurements.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on male rats, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to females.

Participant Demographics

Male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1744-9081-4-28

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication