Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-10 levels in serum and brain tissues after blast brain injury in rabbits

Objective To study the effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on brain tissue tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-o),interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-10 levels in serum and brain tissues after blast brain injury in rabbits.Methods Twenty New Zealand white male rabbits were randomly divided into sham-operated group (n=6),traumatic brain injury (TBI) group (n=10),TBI+VNS group (n=8).Rabbit brain blast injury models of TBI group and TBI+VNS group were established; and the right cervical vagus nerves of the rabbits in TBI+VNS group were stimulated (10 V,5 HZ,5 ms,20 min).The TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-10 changes in the serum (6 h after injury) and brain tissues (24 h after injury) and the water content in the injured brain tissues were observed and recorded.Results The TNF-α and IL-1β levels in the serum and brain tissues,the water content in the brain tissues of the TBI group were significantly higher than those in the sham-operated group and TBI+VNS group (P＜0.05); the IL-10 level in the TBI+VNS group was significantly higher than that in the sham-operated group and TBI group (P＜0.05).Conclusion VNS can reduce the brain edema degree by increasing the IL-10 level and decreasing the TNF-α and IL-1 β levels,which plays a key role in brain protection effect after brain blast injury in rabbits. Key words: Vagus nerve stimulation;  Brain blast injury;  Tumor necrosis factor-α; Interleukin-1β;  Interleukin-10