Tyrosine hydroxylase expression was elevated in the locus ceruleus of neonatal/adult inflammation rats. A. Graph and western blot panel showing tyrosine hydroxylase expression in central nervous system plugs containing the locus ceruleus. We found a significant neonatal colon inflammation x adult colonic inflammation interaction: F1,28=6.36, p=0.019, n=6–8. Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase protein was significantly elevated in neonatal/adult inflammation rats vs. adult colonic inflammation (*p=0.005), control (*p<0.001) and neonatal colon inflammation (*p<0.001) rats; and in adult colonic inflammation rats vs. control (#p=0.017) and neonatal colon inflammation (#p=0.011) rats. B. Graph showing tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels in locus ceruleus containing plugs normalized to 18S rRNA and expressed relative to control. We found a significant neonatal colon inflammation x adult colonic inflammation interaction: F1,28=5.60, p=0.029, n=5 or 6. Tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA was significantly upregulated in neonatal/adult inflammation rats vs. adult colonic inflammation (*p=0.001), control (*p<0.001) and neonatal colon inflammation (*p<0.001) rats; and in adult colonic inflammation rats vs. ctr. (#p=0.001) and neonatal colon inflammation (#p=0.043) rats.