Mechanism of Action of Kynurenic Acid in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive psychosomatic diseases, mainly manifested as recurrent abdominal pain and abnormal bowel movements. The intestinal dysfunction is often comorbidized with anxiety, depression and other emotional problems, resulting in increased intestinal burden and even a decrease in the quality of life. The etiology and pathogenesis of IBS are unclear, but it is currently believed that IBS involves abnormal gut-brain interaction caused by a combination of various factors, including visceral hypersensitivity, intestinal immune activation, intestinal infection, intestinal dysbacteriosis, and psychosocial stress. Recent studies have observed the disorders of gut microbiota-regulated kynurinaine metabolism in IBS patients, and found that the metabolite kynurenic acid (KA) has important correlations with inflammatory responses, pain stimuli and mood changes. KA may play a protective role in IBS such as anti-inflammatory and pain relief and thus has the potential to become a new approach for the diagnosis and treatment of IBS. In this work, studies related to KA and IBS are reviewed.