Gut microbiome may hold clue to disparity in chronic pain between sexes
L-R: Sabrina Salberg, Matthew Macowan
Monash researchers have found that changes in gut microbiome composition and differences between sexes may explain why some adolescents experience persistent pain and why this is more common in females.
Persistent or chronic pain in adolescents is a growing public health epidemic. This pain may initially be triggered by a significant event such as an adverse childhood experience or a physical injury. Up to two thirds of adolescents with chronic pain will become adults with chronic pain1, which poses a significant burden to the individual and society.
Dr Sabrina Salberg, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Neuroscience and first author of the study published in Developmental Neurobiology, explained why examining the effects in different sexes is so important: “Although females experience twice the rates of chronic pain as males2, the majority of pre-clinical pain research focuses on males. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that differences in bacterial composition of the gut microbiome based on a person’s sex may contribute to the disparity in persistent pain between males and females, filling the mechanistic gap.”
The findings also suggest that the gut microbiome may play a role in regulating pain perception through the production of short-chain fatty acids and correlated inflammation. These findings could subsequently have implications for the development of new treatments for pain disorders.
“Through research like this, we can next aim to develop more patient-friendly and effective therapeutic approaches by harnessing the power of the gut microbiome. For example, future studies could examine probiotics or diet as possible treatments for chronic pain caused by early life adversity,” Matthew Macowan, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Immunology and also a first author on the study said.
The relationship between the brain, gut microbiome and immune system is extremely complex. The innovative study involved researchers from three distinct specialties - neuroscience, immunology and gastroenterology - emerging from a Central Clinical School initiative known as the GIN Discovery Program.
The transdisciplinary strengths of the three areas will help to generate a paradigm shift in medical research that moves away from focusing solely on individual organs or systems. In turn, this will redefine the boundaries of medical knowledge and shape the future of healthcare in the limited understanding of complex health conditions, such as persistent pain in adolescents.
Meet these researchers and others at the first GINnovate event on 7 September 2023. GINnovate is an event to foster innovation, scientific excellence and entrepreneurship. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet with others and hear from a panel of experts on how ideas can be commercialised at Monash University. Read more about this exciting event and register here.
Read the full paper in Developmental Neurobiology titled: ‘Gut instinct: Sex differences in the gut microbiome are associated with changes in adolescent nociception following maternal separation in rats’
DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22925
References
- Walker LS, Sherman AL, Bruehl S, Garber J, Smith CA. Functional abdominal pain patient subtypes in childhood predict functional gastrointestinal disorders with chronic pain and psychiatric comorbidities in adolescence and adulthood. Pain. 2012 Sep;153(9):1798–806.
- King S, Chambers CT, Huguet A, MacNevin RC, McGrath PJ, Parker L, et al. The epidemiology of chronic pain in children and adolescents revisited: a systematic review. Pain. 2011 Dec;152(12):2729–38.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
For more news, visit Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences or Monash University.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES