Peculiarities of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Regulator XBP1 Expression in the Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue of Wistar Rats under Chronic Stress

Chronic social stress (CSS) can cause physiological disturbances, provoking the development of depression and anxiety, and stress-induced immune dysregulation is a trigger for the development of many pathological conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases. New data in human and animal models suggest an intriguing relationship between endoplasmic reticulum stress, depression and inflammation. Under cellular stress, the number of protein folding disorders increases, which leads to the development of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). The ERS, in turn, activates the "unfolded protein response" system (unfolded protein response, UPR), the IRE1-XBP1 signaling system is very important. The transcription factor XBP1 is responsible for regulating the expression of a large number of genes involved in the proper folding and maturation of proteins, the degradation of misfolded proteins and regulation of immune responses. In addition, changes in XBP1 expression can significantly affect the risk of developing the disease and the progression of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease.