The vagal nerve as a link between the nervous and immune system in the instance of polymicrobial sepsis

The role of the vagal nerve in the autonomic nervous system is widely well known. Recently, an additional function was revealed serving as a connector between the nervous and immune system. This connection is called the "cholinergic inflammatory pathway." Through stimulation of the acetylc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Langenbeck's archives of surgery 2006-04, Vol.391 (2), p.83-87
Main Authors: Kessler, Wolfram, Traeger, Tobias, Westerholt, Alexandra, Neher, Friederike, Mikulcak, Marlene, Müller, Antje, Maier, Stefan, Heidecke, Claus-Dieter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Chemokine CCL2 - immunology
Colonic Diseases - immunology
Colonic Diseases - mortality
Disease Models, Animal
Female
Immune System - innervation
Interleukin-10 - immunology
Interleukin-6 - immunology
Intestinal Perforation - immunology
Intestinal Perforation - mortality
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Peritonitis - immunology
Peritonitis - mortality
Sepsis - microbiology
Sepsis - physiopathology
Survival Analysis
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - immunology
Vagotomy - mortality
Vagus Nerve - immunology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The role of the vagal nerve in the autonomic nervous system is widely well known. Recently, an additional function was revealed serving as a connector between the nervous and immune system. This connection is called the "cholinergic inflammatory pathway." Through stimulation of the acetylcholine receptors located upon the macrophages, the "unspecific" immune system can be directly influenced. The vagal nerve was completely transected directly posterior to its passage through the diaphragm. The effect of complete vagotomy was analyzed using a murine model of polymicrobial peritonitis (colon ascendens stent peritonitis, CASP). Survival and clinical course of vagotomized or sham-operated mice were analyzed in the CASP model. After CASP surgery, vagotomy led to a significantly increased mortality (64.7%) in comparison to sham-vagotomized animals (34%). No difference in the bacterial load of various tissues (lung, liver, spleen, blood, lavage fluid, and kidney) from septic animals with or without vagotomy was observed. Vagotomized animals reveal elevated serum cytokine levels (TNF, IL-6, IL-10, and MCP-1) 20 h after the induction of polymicrobial peritonitis. The vagal nerve is therefore an important modulator of the immune system.
ISSN:1435-2443
1435-2451
DOI:10.1007/s00423-006-0031-y