Author(s)

Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik^1,2*, Marshall Fretel^1,2, Natalie Eaton^1,2, Helene Cabanas^1,2, Cassandra Balinas^1,2, Vinod Gopalan¹, Daniel Petersen², Rachel Passmore^1,2, Kevin Tang^2,3, Mazhar Haque⁴, Alfred Lam¹, Donald Staines^1,2

¹School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
²The National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
³Gold Coast University Hospital, Parklands, Australia.
⁴Mater Hill Gastroenterology, South Brisbane, Australia.

Introduction: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is often associated with gastrointestinal disturbance and inflammatory markers; however, there have been no histological studies performed in the small intestine from CFS/ME patients. The aim of this investigation was to assess the expression of certain inflammatory markers and inflammatory receptors, namely transient receptor potential melastin 3 (TRPM3) ion channels and muscarinic acetylcholine M3 (mAChRM3) receptors, in small intestinal tissues in a case controlled study comprising a CFS/ME patient and a healthy non-fatigued control. Method: Immunohistochemistry was performed on a small intestinal biopsy from a CFS/ME patient (age = 50; female) with self-reported symptoms of gastrointestinal disturbance and a non-fatigued control (NFC), (age = 28; female). Semi-quantitative analysis of expression was undertaken for interferon-gamma (IFNy), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), TRPM3 ion channels and mAChRM3 acetylcholine receptors. Results: There was significantly decreased expression of TRPM3 in the CFS/ME patient (35% ± 9%) and a significant decrease in mAChRM3 in the CFS/ME patient (54% ± 9%). There was no difference in IL-1α between CFS/ME patient and NFC, however; there was an increase in IFNy (13% ± 6%) in the CFS/ME patient compared to NFC. There was a difference observed in TNFα in CFS/ME compared to NFC. Conclusion: Differences were noted in the expression of specific TRP ion channels and cholinergic receptors in CFS/ME compared with NFC, with CFS/ME demonstrating decreased TRPM3 and mAChRM3. Further, IFNy was increased, and TNFα decreased, in the small intestine of the CFS/ME patient with reported gastrointestinal disturbance.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Irritable Bowel, TRPM3, mAChRM3, Small Intestine, Inflammation

Marshall-Gradisnik, S. , Fretel, M. , Eaton, N. , Cabanas, H. , Balinas, C. , Gopalan, V. , Petersen, D. , Passmore, R. , Tang, K. , Haque, M. , Lam, A. and Staines, D. (2018) Decreased Expression of TRPM3 and mAChRM3 in the Small Intestine in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9, 467-480. doi: 10.4236/ijcm.2018.95040.