Does vagal nerve stimulation alter immune response in the brain?

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25861275
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: KHOO Hui Ming 大阪大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任研究員 (70591022)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: てんかん / 免疫 / HMGB1 / 迷走神経刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Increasing evidence supports the involvement of activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a key receptor of innate immunity, by the high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) in the etiopathogenesis of seizures. Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) was proposed to alter norepinephrine (NE) release by projections to the locus coeruleus. NE is known to be an inhibitor of inflammatory responses in the brain. Using model of acute seizures in Wistar rat, we discovered a mechanism of VNS in seizure control involving suppression of HMGB1 release from neurons.

Free Research Field

てんかん