Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation of afferents is used as an adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant
epilepsy and depression. In addition, anti-inflammatory properties of vagus nerve
stimulation have been reported in various experimental models of inflammation but
not in colitis. These effects are thought to be mediated via peripheral release of
acetylcholine from the vagus and subsequent activation of macrophages. Our aim was
to evaluate in rats the anti-inflammatory effects of chronic vagus nerve stimulation
on colonic inflammation. Colitis was induced by intracolonic instillation of trinitrobenzene
sulfonic acid. Vagus nerve stimulation (left cervical) was performed in freely moving
animals 3 h per day for five consecutive days. Assessment of colonic inflammation was obtained
using physiological (e.g. body weight, temperature and locomotor activity) parameters,
macroscopical (area of lesions), histological, and biological parameters (e.g. myeloperoxidase
activity, cytokine and cytokine-related mRNAs), both at the level of the damaged colon
and the colon immediately above. A global multivariate index of colitis was then generated
for a better characterization of colonic inflammation. Vagus nerve stimulation reduced
the degree of body weight loss and inflammatory markers as observed above the lesion
by histological score and myeloperoxidase quantification. This anti-inflammatory effect
was also demonstrated by the improvement of the multivariate index of colitis. These
data argue for an anti-inflammatory role of vagus nerve stimulation chronically performed
in freely moving rats with colitis and provide potential therapeutic applications
for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: November 12, 2010
Accepted:
October 15,
2010
Received in revised form:
October 7,
2010
Received:
June 30,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
