Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on parafascicular nucleus neuronal activities in rats

Yizhe Meng; Jinju Jiao

摘要：BACKGROUND: Vagal nerve fibers have many projections to the central nervous system. The anti-epileptic effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are associated with the thalamus, insular cortex, and other brain regions.OBJECTIVE: To validate the inhibitory effects of vagus nerve stimulation on firing activities of parafascicular nucleus (Pf) neurons in rats. DESIGN, TIME, AND SETTING: The experiment was performed in the Electrophysiological Laboratory of Department of Neurobiology, Liaoning Medical University between September 2006 and September 2007 with multiple-factor self-controlled design.MATERIALS: Twenty-two healthy adult male Sprague Dawley rats were obtained for this experiment. Main instruments: A320R constant electrical stimulation was made by United States World Precision Instruments, Spike2 Biological Signal Processing Systems was provided by British CED Company.METHODS: Under general anesthesia, the left cervical vagus nerve of rats was separated by approximately 1.0 cm. A stimulation electrode was deployed on the vagus nerve, with various settings for VNS parameters.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Firing rates of Pf before and after various VNS parameters were measured according to effect (R) ≥ 20%: excited effect, R ≤ -20%: inhibited effect, -20% < R < 20%: no effect. ② Firing rates of excited Pf neurons after various VNS parameters were measured.RESULTS: ① One rat died prior to recording, another was recorded in the wrong brain location, but the remaining 20 rats were included in the final analysis. ② A total of 221 Pf neurons in healthy rats were recorded. The spontaneous firing rats were (6.70 ± 0.56) Hz and varied between 0.34-52.5 Hz. The spontaneous firing rates were significantly increased in 146 neurons (66.1%), increasing from (5.36 ± 0.59) Hz to (8.22 ± 0.81) Hz (P < 0.01). A total of 40 (18.1%) neurons did not respond, and 35 (15.8%) neurons were inhibited. ③ The excitation rates of Pf neurons did not increase with increasing current intensity from 3.0 mA to 5.0 mA. ④ When the current intensity was set to 3.0-4.0 mA, excitation rates of Pf neurons decreased with increasing stimulation frequency of 30-50 Hz. The excitation ratios were not reduced by an intensity of 5.0 mA.CONCLUSION: VNS may result in excited Pf neurons that may inhibit cerebral cortical activities.