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BJA Advance Access originally published online on March 3, 2009
British Journal of Anaesthesia 2009 102(4):453-462; doi:10.1093/bja/aep037
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 BJA: April 2009
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© The Author [2009]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Board of Directors of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournal.org

Cytokines and the immunomodulatory function of the vagus nerve

G. R. Johnston and N. R. Webster*

Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK

* Corresponding author. E-mail: n.r.webster{at}abdn.ac.uk

Cytokine synthesis and release is an essential component of the innate immune system, but inappropriate, excessive production results in a generalized systemic inflammatory response which damages distant organs. Recent research has identified an immunomodulatory function of the vagus nerve whereby activation of the efferent arm results in regulation of cytokine production. Termed the ‘cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway’, this neuro-immune communication provides the host with a fast, discrete, and localized means of controlling the immune response and preventing excessive inflammation. Stimulation of the vagus nerve attenuates cytokine production and improves survival in experimental sepsis, haemorrhagic shock, ischaemia–reperfusion injury, and other conditions of cytokine excess and research is now underway in developing new and novel therapeutics aimed at stimulating the vagus nerve either directly or targeting specific components of the pathway.

Keywords: complications, infection; immune response; parasympathetic nervous system, vagus; polypeptides, cytokines


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