Peripheral Guanylate Cyclase-C modulation of corticolimbic activation and corticotropin-releasing factor signaling in a rat model of stress-induced colonic hypersensitivity.

Our results demonstrate that exposure to repeated stress induces chronic colonic hypersensitivity in conjunction with altered corticolimbic activation and CRF expression. GC-C agonism attenuated stress-induced colonic hypersensitivity and ERK phosphorylation, but had no effect on CRF expression, suggesting the analgesic effects of linaclotide occur independent of stress-driven CRF gene expression in corticolimbic circuitry.