Early life visceral stress induces auditory brainstem sensitization and cochlear proteomic alterations in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome

< 0.001). Cochlear proteomic profiling identified 219 differentially expressed proteins enriched in vesicle trafficking, synaptic signaling, and inflammatory pathways, including MAPK, PI3K-Akt, and TNF signaling. Network analyses highlighted transcriptional, proteasomal, and mitochondrial alterations as potential molecular drivers. Together, these findings provide the first evidence that early life visceral stress not only programs persistent gastrointestinal hypersensitivity but also sensitizes auditory processing via cochlear molecular changes. This work extends the developmental psychobiology framework by linking early life adversity to cross-modal sensory dysfunction and highlights a novel gut-inner ear axis.