Fig. 1. The fecal pellet output (FPO) and mast cell count in a repeated water avoidance stress (WAS) experiment. FPO data represent the 10-day sessions with weight calibration for male and female rats. The difference between male and female body weight was normalized by multiplying female FPO with the ratio of male body weight to female body weight. The mean FPO (A) and the submucosal mast cell counts (C) showed a significant increase in the female WAS group compared to the female control group with statistical significance. (B) The submucosal mast cells were counted from toluidine blue stained colonic tissue slides. The mast cell count in the colonic mucosa was divided into the area of the colonic mucosa. The correlation analysis between the mean FPO and the mast cell counts in male (D) and female (E) rats indicated their positive correlation with statistical significance in female rats (P = 0.035).

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