{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T17:48:41Z","timestamp":1781545721650,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,19]],"date-time":"2025-10-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760832000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Regional Innovation System & Education (RISE) program","award":["2025-RISE-13-JJU"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025-RISE-13-JJU"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Metabolites"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Psychological stress is a main factor in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and contributes to changes in gastrointestinal motility and inflammatory responses. We investigated the effects of three probiotic strains, Lactobacillus brevis N1, L. brevis N2, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens S1, isolated from Korean fermented foods, on stress-induced colonic hypermotility and inflammatory signaling in a rat model. Methods: Thirty female Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control (sham), Stress (water avoidance stress, WAS), Treatment A (WAS + L. brevis N1), Treatment B (WAS + L. brevis N2), and Treatment C (WAS + B. amyloliquefaciens S1) (n = 6 per group). Rats were exposed to WAS for 1 h daily for nine consecutive days. Furthermore, before stress exposure, probiotics were administered by oral gavage. The fecal pellet output (FPO), body weight, and food intake were recorded daily. Colon tissues were harvested for protein extraction, and inflammatory signaling was evaluated by Western blotting for NF-\u03baB and I\u03baB\u03b1, with \u03b2-actin as loading control. Immunoreactive bands were visualized by enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) and quantified using ImageJ software version 1.54k. Results: The WAS group showed significantly higher FPO than the sham group (p &lt; 0.01). FPO was significantly decreased in rats treated with L. brevis N2 compared to that in the WAS-only group (p &lt; 0.05). Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that NF-\u03baB expression was suppressed in all the probiotic groups. Conclusions: Therefore, probiotics are suggested to have elevated anti-inflammatory effects through the downregulation of the NF-\u03baB signaling pathway by restoring I\u03baB\u03b1 expression and can be utilized as potential therapeutics for stress-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo15100677","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T12:27:29Z","timestamp":1760963249000},"page":"677","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Differential Effects of Probiotic Strains on Chronic Stress-Exacerbated Colonic Motility in Rats: A Comparative Evaluation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Yun-Seong","family":"Lee","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan 54538, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Nain Healthcare Co., Ltd., Iksan 54613, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Soyu","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sooah","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environment Science & Biotechnology, Jeonju University, Jeonju 55069, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1262","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2016.02.032","article-title":"Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Rome IV Update","volume":"150","year":"2016","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aggeletopoulou, I., and Triantos, C. (2024). Microbiome Shifts and Their Impact on Gut Physiology in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms252212395"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"701","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn3346","article-title":"Mind-Altering Microorganisms: The Impact of the Gut Microbiota on Brain and Behaviour","volume":"13","author":"Cryan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI30085","article-title":"Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors and Stress-Related Alterations of Gut Motor Function","volume":"117","author":"Tache","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Clin. Investig."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"G42","DOI":"10.1152\/ajpgi.00500.2004","article-title":"Repeated Exposure to Water Avoidance Stress in Rats: A New Model for Sustained Visceral Hyperalgesia","volume":"289","author":"Bradesi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"213","DOI":"10.5056\/jnm.2011.17.3.213","article-title":"Stress-Related Alterations of Visceral Sensation: Animal Models for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Study","volume":"17","author":"Larauche","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Neurogastroenterol. Motil."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"872","DOI":"10.3349\/ymj.2017.58.4.872","article-title":"The Effect of Peripheral CRF Peptide and Water Avoidance Stress on Colonic and Gastric Transit in Guinea Pigs","volume":"58","author":"Hussain","year":"2017","journal-title":"Yonsei Med. J."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"G807","DOI":"10.1152\/ajpgi.00243.2009","article-title":"Probiotic Bacteria and Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function","volume":"298","author":"Ohland","year":"2010","journal-title":"Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chong, P.P., Chin, V.K., Looi, C.Y., Wong, W.F., Madhavan, P., and Yong, V.C. (2019). The Microbiome and Irritable Bowel Syndrome\u2014A Review on the Pathophysiology, Current Research and Future Therapy. Front. Microbiol., 10.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2019.01136"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3072","DOI":"10.3748\/wjg.v21.i10.3072","article-title":"Effectiveness of Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Updated Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis","volume":"21","author":"Didari","year":"2015","journal-title":"World J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"McFarland, L.V., Evans, C.T., and Goldstein, E.J.C. (2018). Strain-Specificity and Disease-Specificity of Probiotic Efficacy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front. Med., 5.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2018.00124"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"787","DOI":"10.1136\/gutjnl-2012-302504","article-title":"An Update on the Use and Investigation of Probiotics in Health and Disease","volume":"62","author":"Sanders","year":"2013","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"895","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2036.2003.01543.x","article-title":"A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Probiotic, VSL#3, on Gut Transit and Symptoms in Diarrhoea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"17","author":"Kim","year":"2003","journal-title":"Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"419","DOI":"10.4161\/gmic.29417","article-title":"The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders","volume":"5","author":"Collins","year":"2014","journal-title":"Gut Microbes"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"82","DOI":"10.4166\/kjg.2011.57.2.82","article-title":"Guidelines for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"57","author":"Kwon","year":"2011","journal-title":"Korean J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2161","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.70.4.2161-2171.2004","article-title":"Characterization of Bacillus Probiotics Available for Human Use","volume":"70","author":"Duc","year":"2004","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"184","DOI":"10.1097\/MOG.0b013e32835d7bba","article-title":"Probiotics in the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease","volume":"29","author":"Whelan","year":"2013","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1186\/1476-4598-12-86","article-title":"The Complexity of NF-\u03baB Signaling in Inflammation and Cancer","volume":"12","author":"Hoesel","year":"2013","journal-title":"Mol. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"321","DOI":"10.1038\/nri3430","article-title":"Role of the Gut Microbiota in Immunity and Inflammatory Disease","volume":"13","author":"Kamada","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Immunol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"455","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chom.2017.03.002","article-title":"Age-Associated Microbial Dysbiosis Promotes Intestinal Permeability, Systemic Inflammation, and Macrophage Dysfunction","volume":"21","author":"Thevaranjan","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cell Host Microbe"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1038\/nature11319","article-title":"Gut Microbiota Composition Correlates with Diet and Health in the Elderly","volume":"488","author":"Claesson","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"397","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbi.2010.10.023","article-title":"Exposure to a Social Stressor Alters the Structure of the Intestinal Microbiota","volume":"25","author":"Bailey","year":"2011","journal-title":"Brain Behav. Immun."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"506","DOI":"10.1038\/nrgastro.2014.66","article-title":"Expert Consensus Document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics Consensus Statement","volume":"11","author":"Hill","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"496","DOI":"10.1097\/MOG.0b013e32834baa4d","article-title":"Probiotics and Immune Health","volume":"27","author":"Yan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"6688450","article-title":"Probiotics as a Complementary Therapy for Management of Obesity: A Systematic Review","volume":"2021","author":"Mohseni","year":"2021","journal-title":"Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"405","DOI":"10.1354\/vp.42-4-405","article-title":"Technical Aspects of Immunohistochemistry","volume":"42","year":"2005","journal-title":"Vet. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.1007\/s10787-021-00907-7","article-title":"Montelukast suppresses the development of irritable bowel syndrome phenotype possibly through modulating NF-\u03baB signaling in an experimental model","volume":"30","author":"Khodabakhsh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Inflammopharmacology"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.5056\/jnm.2011.17.2.131","article-title":"Biopsychosocial Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"17","author":"Tanaka","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Neurogastroenterol. Motil."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14126","DOI":"10.3748\/wjg.v20.i39.14126","article-title":"Impact of Psychological Stress on Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"20","author":"Qin","year":"2014","journal-title":"World J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1200","DOI":"10.3748\/wjg.v19.i8.1200","article-title":"Involvement of parasympathetic pelvic efferent pathway in psychological stress-induced defecation","volume":"19","author":"Suda","year":"2013","journal-title":"World J. Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1189","DOI":"10.1016\/S0271-5317(99)00080-9","article-title":"Acute and Chronic Stress-Induced Oxidative Gastrointestinal Injury in Rats, and the Protective Ability of a Novel Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract","volume":"19","author":"Bagchi","year":"1999","journal-title":"Nutr. Res."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1186\/s13099-017-0162-4","article-title":"Strain-Specific Probiotic Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Their Interference with Human Intestinal Pathogens Invasion","volume":"9","author":"Campana","year":"2017","journal-title":"Gut Pathog."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1330","DOI":"10.3346\/jkms.2010.25.9.1330","article-title":"Stress-Induced Alterations in Mast Cell Numbers and PAR-2 Expression in the Colon","volume":"25","author":"Kim","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Korean Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1877","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00018.2018","article-title":"The Microbiota\u2013Gut\u2013Brain Axis","volume":"99","author":"Cryan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Physiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1038\/nrgastro.2010.117","article-title":"Probiotics and the Gut Microbiota in Intestinal Health and Disease","volume":"7","author":"Gareau","year":"2010","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1132","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2982.2011.01796.x","article-title":"The Anxiolytic Effect of Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 Involves Vagal Pathways","volume":"23","author":"Bercik","year":"2011","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol. Motil."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1689","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1440-1746.2008.05574.x","article-title":"The Alteration of Enterochromaffin Cell, Mast Cell, and Lamina Propria T Lymphocyte Numbers in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Its Relationship with Psychological Factors","volume":"23","author":"Lee","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbr.2014.07.027","article-title":"Serotonin, Tryptophan Metabolism and the Brain\u2013Gut\u2013Microbiome Axis","volume":"277","author":"Clarke","year":"2015","journal-title":"Behav. Brain Res."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.9758\/cpn.2015.13.3.239","article-title":"The Gut\u2013Brain Axis: The Missing Link in Depression","volume":"13","author":"Evrensel","year":"2015","journal-title":"Clin. Psychopharmacol. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2982.2010.01664.x","article-title":"The Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis: From Bowel to Behavior","volume":"23","author":"Cryan","year":"2011","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol. Motil."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1038\/nri3661","article-title":"Cytokines in Inflammatory Bowel Disease","volume":"14","author":"Neurath","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Immunol."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"913","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2007.01.046","article-title":"Immune activation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome","volume":"132","author":"Liebregts","year":"2007","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1136\/gut.42.4.477","article-title":"Activation of nuclear factor kappa B in inflammatory bowel disease","volume":"42","author":"Schreiber","year":"1998","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113957","DOI":"10.18632\/oncotarget.23045","article-title":"Modulation of Inflammation by Toll-Like Receptor 4\/Nuclear Factor-Kappa B in Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome","volume":"8","author":"He","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oncotarget"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lin, H., Lv, Y., Liu, H., Lin, Z., Zhu, N., and Huang, B. (2025). Baicalein Alleviates Chronic Acute Stress-Induced Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Like Symptoms in Rats via Modulating the ODC1\/NF-\u03baB Pathway and Oxidative Stress. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 771.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbrc.2025.152058"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zeng, H., Jiang, Y., Yin, Q., Li, X., Xiong, Y., Li, B., Xu, X., Hu, H., and Qian, G. (2024). Sinisan Alleviates Stress-Induced Intestinal Dysfunction and Depressive-Like Behaviors in Mice with Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Enhancing the Intestinal Barrier and Modulating Central 5-Hydroxytryptamine. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 25.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms251910262"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17023","DOI":"10.1038\/sigtrans.2017.23","article-title":"NF-\u03baB signaling in inflammation","volume":"2","author":"Liu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Signal Transduct. Target. Ther."}],"container-title":["Metabolites"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2218-1989\/15\/10\/677\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T13:11:38Z","timestamp":1760965898000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2218-1989\/15\/10\/677"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,19]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]}},"alternative-id":["metabo15100677"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/metabo15100677","relation":{},"ISSN":["2218-1989"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2218-1989","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,19]]}}}