Protective effects of vagus nerve stimulation on the liver in a rat model of sepsis / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To determine if stimulation of cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway mediated by vagus can protect liver against sepsis.Methods Male SD rats weighing 250-300 g were anesthetized with intraperitoneal methane 1g?kg~(-1).Left common carotid artery,was cannulated for MAP monitoring and blood sampling.Sepsis was produced by ligation of cecum which was punctured twice at an interspace of 3 mm with a 9G needle(CLP).Bilateral vagus nerves were isolated,ligated with 4-0 silk and cut(VGX).The distal end of the vagus nerve was stimulated with direct current(5V,2 ms,1 Hz)continuously for 20 min(STM).Forty animals were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=10 each)group Ⅰ sham operation;group Ⅱ CLP;group Ⅲ CLP + VGX and group Ⅳ CLP+VGX+STM.Arterial blood samples were obtained at 0,1,2 and 4 h after operation for determination of plasma TNF-? concentration and serum ALT and AST activities.The animals were then killed and the livers removed for ultrastructure examination with electron microscope.Results Electrical stimulation of the distal end of vagus nerve significantly attenuated the significant decrease in MAP and increase in plasma TNF-? concentration and serum AST and ALT activities and the damage to the organelle in the liver cell induced by sepsis.Conclusion Our results show that electrical stimulation of vagus nerve can protect liver from sepsis to some extent through cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.