A new study has found the reason why women are more likely to develop gastrointestinal disorders than men.

The researchers explain that it is likely because men and women handle the condition differently but studies suggest that the GI system behaves differently in women because of sex-related features in the brain.

Penn State Hershey College of Medicine researcher Tanja Babic that the nerve cells responsible for controlling the movement of food through the intestines are more sluggish in response to brain inputs in women than in men.

"Women are more likely to develop gastrointestinal disorder than men, but very little research has been done to investigate the reasons behind this," Babic says. "Females also show differences in brain structure and function compared to males, including higher levels of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Since GABA influences the activity of neurons that control digestion, I wanted to investigate whether GABA activity in these neurons is different in males and females. If we can selectively change the activity of these neurons in females, we would have a potential therapeutic target for better treatment of GI disorders in women."

For the study, Babic measured the type of nerve signal received from the brain and the response shown by the nerves to the signals in rats. She found that the nerves in female rats received more signals that suppress the intestinal movement of food. The study also revealed that nerves were also less responsive when stimulated.

The neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) modulate the gastric motility and the activity of these neurons is regulated by a tonic GABAergic input. It has been found that females have a higher expression of GABA throughout the central nervous system.