Identification of existing drugs effective for visceral pain relevant to irritable bowel syndrome through phenotypic screening in rats

Background and Aims: Visceral hypersensitivity is responsible for pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), especially abdominal pain. Therefore, its prevention can help avoid abdominal pain and discomfort in IBS. To find candidate drugs for visceral hypersensitivity, we screened existing medicines for their ability to prevent visceral pain sensitivity induced by colorectal distension (CRD) in rats.