Research for the mechanism of vagus nerve stimulation therapy using Noda epileptic rat

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26462210
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Koji Iida 広島大学, 病院(医), 講師 (20304412)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): ISHIHARA Kumatoshi 広島国際大学, 薬学部, 教授 (20212912)
• Research Collaborator: KATAGIRI Masaya 広島大学, 大学病院, 医科診療医 (40793451)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: Vagus nerve stimulation / Epilepsy / Noda Epileptic Rat

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed vagus nerve stimulation to genetic epileptic model rat 'NER'. Acute stimulation of 2 hours showed anti-epileptic effect to generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Chronic stimulation of 4 weeks showed anti-epileptic effect to the absence like seizure and reduced duration of the absence seizures. We also studied neuronal activity changes among the rat brains after acute and chronic stimulation using immunofluorescence staining of c-Fos and delta-FosB. In the VNS group, we observed hyper neuronal activations in the nuclei corresponding with ascending reticular activating system. Furthermore, there were specific hyper neuronal activation in the locus caeruleus after acute stimulation and in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus after chronic stimulation. Time dependent anti-epileptic effect of VNS may be derived from the difference of these activated cites.

Free Research Field

Neurosurgery