Vagus nerve stimulation promotes the resolution of inflammation.

Inflammation is a necessary component of the body’s immune response. But unresolved inflammation is harmful to the body and can promote a wide range of chronic diseases. Findings from a recent study suggest that stimulation of the vagus nerve promotes the resolution of inflammation.

The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve. Its name, “vagus,” comes from the Latin term for “wandering” – a characteristic of the nerve, which arises in the brain and extends to organs in the neck, chest, and abdomen. The vagus nerve is the primary component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates many crucial biological processes, including mood control, digestion, heart rate, and immune response. Evidence from animal studies suggests that stimulating the vagal nerve reduces the release of proinflammatory cytokines that drive acute inflammation.

Using a mild electrical current, the investigators stimulated the vagus nerve of mice. Then, after inducing an inflammatory response in the animals' abdomens, they measured neutrophils (immune cells) and anti-inflammatory markers in fluid taken from the abdominal region.

They found that mice that received the vagus nerve stimulation had higher levels of specialized pro-resolving mediators, or SPMs, in their abdominal fluid. SPMs are byproducts of omega-3 fatty acid metabolism that play critical roles in resolving inflammation. The stimulated mice also had fewer neutrophils in their abdominal fluid, an indication that neutrophil infiltration had ceased, a key process in the resolution of inflammation.

These findings suggest that vagus nerve stimulation promotes the resolution of inflammation via the promotion of SPM biosynthesis. Learn more about SPMs and omega-3 metabolism in this episode featuring Dr. Bill Harris.

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