OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of stimulation of intact vagus nerve (IVNS) on systemic inflammatory response in rats.

METHODSThe model of systemic inflammatory response was reproduced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). One hundred Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into A group (with intravenous injection of LPS), B group (with stimulation of efferent nerve trunk of vagus nerve after intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide and vagotomy), C group (with stimulation of intact vagus nerve after intravenous injection of LPS), D group (with vagus nerve stimulation after injection of equivalent isotonic saline), E group (with intravenous injection of equivalent isotonic saline), with 20 rats in each group. Five rats of each group were used to determine mean aortic pressure (MAP) before injection and l0 min, 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h and 6 h after injection. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and interleukin (IL) 10 were determined with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay before injection and 2, 4 and 6 hour after injection.

RESULTSThe level of MAP rose in A, B, C groups at 10 min after injection, especially in A group (134.40 +/- 7.3 mm Hg, l mm Hg = 0.033 kPa, P < 0.05), but it dropped in above groups at 30 min after injection. The level of MAP in A group was obviously lower than that in B, C groups during 10 min -6 h after injection. The serum level of TNF-alpha in A group was significantly higher than that in B, C groups at 2, 4, 6 hours after injection (P < 0.05). Compared with that in C group, the serum level of IL-10 in A, B groups lowered markedly at 4, 6 hours after injection (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIVNS can stabilize hemodynamics and exert have anti-inflammatory effects at early stage of systemic inflammatory response.