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Electrical Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Nicotine Effects in Peritonitis-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats

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Abstract

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway has been identified as playing a key role in the communication between the central nervous system and the immune system during inflammation. The potential beneficial role of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) remains to be clarified in established sepsis. We hypothesized that VNS or nicotine administration would reduce lung injury and mortality in established sepsis. We conducted a prospective, randomized experimental study. Four hours after peritonitis induction by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), rats were randomized into three groups of seven animals according to the intervention: control group, VNS group (15 V, 2 ms, 5 Hz during 20 min), and nicotine group (400 µg/kg intraperitoneal). Survival was determined as lung injury score 4 and 8 h after CLP. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-3 and thrombin–antithrombin complexes (TATc) were measured at baseline and at 4 and 8 h after CLP. Survival at 8 h was 71.4%, 100%, and 23.8% in the control, VNS, and nicotine groups, respectively (p < 0.05). All animals had lung damage but without significant difference between groups even if nicotine-treated animals tended to have a higher score than the controls (p = 0.09). Neutrophil polymorphonuclear (PMN) infiltration was more pronounced in the nicotine group compared with the VNS group (p = 0.015) but not with the controls. TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, CINC-3, and TATc were elevated in all groups (NS). In this model of established sepsis, posttreatment by VNS was associated with increased survival, while nicotine administration increased lung PMN infiltration and mortality. Nicotine-induced bacterial clearance impairment and nicotine systemic effects may explain these observations.

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Acknowledgments

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Competing Interests

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Authors' Contributions

CB, VC, EL, and CL performed the study and data analysis. CB, XW, and PFL wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Critical Care Medicine, Saint-Luc University Hospital, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Claire Boland, Xavier Wittebole & Pierre-François Laterre

  2. Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Valérie Collet

  3. Department of Pathology, Institut de Pathologie et Génétique, Gosselies, Belgium

    Emmanuelle Laterre

  4. Laboratory of Experimental Surgery, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium

    Corinne Lecuivre

Authors
  1. Claire Boland
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  2. Valérie Collet
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  3. Emmanuelle Laterre
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  5. Xavier Wittebole
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  6. Pierre-François Laterre
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Correspondence to Pierre-François Laterre.

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Boland, C., Collet, V., Laterre, E. et al. Electrical Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Nicotine Effects in Peritonitis-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats. Inflammation 34, 29–35 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-010-9204-5

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