Vagus Nerve Stimulation Protects Enterocyte Glycocalyx After Hemorrhagic Shock Via the Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway

Introduction: Electrical vagal nerve stimulation is known to decrease gut permeability and alleviate gut injury caused by traumatic hemorrhagic shock. However, the specific mechanism of action remains unclear. Glycocalyx, located on the surface of the intestinal epithelium, is associated with the buildup of the intestinal barrier. Therefore, the goal of our study was to explore whether vagal nerve stimulation affects enterocyte glycocalyx, gut permeability, gut injury, and remote lung injury. Materials and methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were anesthetized and their cervical nerves were exposed. The rats underwent traumatic hemorrhagic shock (with maintenance of mean arterial pressure of 30–35 mmHg for 60 min) with fluid resuscitation. Vagal nerve stimulation was added to two cohorts of animals before fluid resuscitation, and one of them was injected with methyllycaconitine to block the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Intestinal epithelial glycocalyx was detected using immunofluorescence. Intestinal permeability, the degree of gut and lung injury, and inflammation factors were also assessed. Results: Vagal nerve stimulation alleviated the damage to the intestinal epithelial glycocalyx and decreased intestinal permeability by 43% compared with the shock/resuscitation phase (P 
Source: Shock - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Basic Science Aspects Source Type: research