Preliminary Study on the Tears Oxidative Stress Status and Sleep Disturbances in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients

Abstract

According to the latest gastrointestinal disorders diagnostic criteria (ROME IV), the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is mainly characterized by the presence of abdominal pain and changes in intestinal transit. However, both sleep impairments and oxidative status changes (in patients’ sera, mucosal level, and other body fluids) were reported IBS. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate several aspects regarding the oxidative stress status in patients’ tears as well as sleep disturbances by comparison with the intensity of IBS symptoms, as assessed by the visual analogue scale for irritable bowel syndrome (VAS-IBS). Ten IBS patients and fourteen healthy sex- and age-matched volunteers were recruited from the Oftaprof Ophthalmological Clinic (Iași, Romania). Visual analogue scale for irritable bowel syndrome and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires were administered to all the patients. Tear samples were collected using the Schirmer test procedure and were subjected to biochemical analysis—superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, malondialdehyde, and total soluble proteins levels were determined. Standard statistical analysis was applied. We found significant differences in oxidative stress marker dynamics in IBS patients as compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls: increased superoxide dismutase activity (p=0.02), increased malondialdehyde (p=0.007), and total soluble proteins levels (p=0.019). We found no significant differences in tear glutathione peroxidase activity in IBS patients as compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls (p=0.55). Furthermore, we observed that the oxidative stress tear markers are correlated with gastrointestinal symptoms severity (as evaluated by VAS-IBS) but not correlated to the sleep quality index and items (as evaluated by PSQI), with significant differences according to patient sex and IBS subtype stratification. In this way, this study brings additional evidence of the oxidative stress role in IBS pathology alongside the evaluation of tear fluid molecular dynamics in IBS for the first time in our best knowledge.

Chronic stress and poor sleeping habits are associated with self-reported IBS and poor psychological well-being in the general population

“…Our findings of an association between shorter sleeping duration and IBS are supported by one study [23], in contrast to another [22]. The association between sleeping onset difficulties and IBS remained in the full model, in alignment with other studies which describe this phenomenon as a dominant symptom [14,[23][24][25]. Interestingly, most of the IBS patients related their sleeping disturbances to non-IBS symptoms, such as nocturia, back pain, headache, and arthralgias [22], which complicates the research field further.…”

“…Sleeping deprivation has been shown to lead to enhancements of nociception and a diminished capacity to regulate emotional reactivity leading to depression and/or anxiety [ 29 ], and it affects the autonomous nervous system and HPA axis in similarity to chronic stress, leading to visceral hypersensitivity [ 11 , 30 ]. Furthermore, biomarkers for oxidative stress in tears correlated with GI symptoms in IBS patients with sleeping disorders [ 25 ].…”

“…No objective assessments of sleeping quality were performed and the open question character in the present study gave room for self-interpretations, in contrast to the validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) or health-related quality of life questionnaires [ 12 , 22 , 23 , 25 , 27 ]. However, the VAS-IBS is validated for GI symptoms and psychological well-being [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Water-Based Extraction of Bioactive Principles from Blackcurrant Leaves and Chrysanthellum americanum: A Comparative Study

“…In Cuba traditional medicine, it has been used for gastro-intestinal pains, rheumatism, and kidney diseases [ 19 ]. More recently, CA was reported for its action against irritable bowel syndrome [ 21 ] and for its hepatoprotective properties (mainly evidenced against ethylic alcohol and CCl 4 ), lipid lowering actions, and its positive effects against vascular diseases by promoting blood microcirculation [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The pharmacological properties of CA are generally attributed to saponosides (such as chrysanthellins A and B) and flavonoids compounds.…”

The effects of spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) supplementation on anthropometric indices, blood pressure, sleep quality, mental health, fatigue status and quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis: A randomised, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled trial

“…[56][57][58] According to previous literature, a higher oxidative or inflammatory condition in patients is strongly associated with poor sleep quality and sleep disturbance problems. 59,60 Spirulina bioactive components, including phycobiliprotein, β-carotene and phycocyanin, can elicit decreases in lipid peroxidation or attenuate expression of inflammatory genes, which can ameliorate oxidative or inflammatory status, [56][57][58] and consequently enhance sleep quality. Third, spirulina can increase leptin secretion from adipose tissue 61 ; indeed, Hirota et al 62 suggested that plasma leptin concentrations were positively related to higher sleep quality.…”