Epidermal growth factor upregulates serotonin transporter and its association with visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome

Figure 3 Serotonin transporter levels in colon tissues of control and visceral-sensitized rats. A: Western blot of serotonin transporter (SERT) expression in colonic tissues in both acetic acid- and saline-treated rat groups; B: Quantitation of SERT protein in rat colonic tissue in both acetic acid- and saline-treated rat groups compared to GAPDH. The SERT protein expressions in colon tissues were significantly lower in visceral-sensitized rats than in the controls (visceral-sensitized rats vs controls, ^bP < 0.01) (n = 10 in each group).