The enteric nervous system relays psychological stress to intestinal inflammation [ColonBulkseq]

Mental health profoundly impacts inflammatory responses in the body. This is particularly apparent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where psychological stress is associated with disease flares. Here, we discover a critical role for the enteric nervous system (ENS) in mediating the aggravating effect of chronic stress on intestinal inflammation. We find that chronically elevated levels of glucocorticoids drive the generation of an inflammatory subset of enteric glia that promotes monocyte- and TNF-mediated colitis via CSF1. Additionally, glucocorticoids cause transcriptional immaturity in enteric neurons, acetylcholine deficiency, and dysmotility via TGFß2. We verify the connection between the psychological state, intestinal inflammation, and dysmotility in two cohorts of human IBD patients. Together, these findings offer a mechanistic explanation for the impact of the brain on peripheral inflammation, define the ENS as a relay between psychological stress and gut inflammation, and suggest that stress management could serve as a valuable component of IBD care. Overall design: WT mice were exposed to 7days of daily restraint stress or control treatment as detailed in the methods section. After 7 days mRNA was isolated from total colon tissue of stress and control mice.