Estrogen may amplify gut pain, offering clues to IBS gender gap
A new preclinical mouse study suggests estrogen heightens gut-pain sensitivity by acting on rare gut-lining L-cells, which increases OLFR78 receptor activity and boosts serotonin release via the PYY pathway, altering nerve signaling to the brain. Removing ovaries lowers estrogen and reduces pain sensitivity, while restoring estrogen brings it back, potentially explaining why IBS is more common and severe in women. The findings hint at potential targets (PYY/OLFR78) for IBS therapies, though translating mouse results to humans requires caution.