The role of vagal innervation on the early development of postoperative ileus in mice

• Published in: Neurogastroenterology and motility 2022-02, Vol.34 (2), p.e14308-n/a
• Main Authors: Brandlhuber, Martina, Benhaqi, Petra, Brandlhuber, Bernhard, Koliogiannis, Vanessa, Kasparek, Michael S., Mueller, Mario H., Kreis, Martin E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Area postrema; Avidin; Brain stem; Central nervous system; Fluorescein isothiocyanate; Immune response; Immunomodulation; Inflammation; Innervation; Laparotomy; Mast cells; motility; Nervous system; Peroxidase; postoperative Ileus; Sensory neurons; Small intestine; Solitary tract nucleus; Statistical analysis; Surgery; vagotomy; Vagus nerve
• ISSN: 1350-1925; 1365-2982
• DOI: 10.1111/nmo.14308

Background Postoperative ileus (POI) involves an intestinal inflammatory response that is modulated by afferent and efferent vagal activation. We aimed to identify the potential influence of the vagus nerve on POI by tracking central vagal activation and its role for peripheral inflammatory changes during the early hours after surgery. Methods C57BL6 mice were vagotomized (V) 3–4 days prior to experiments, while control animals received sham vagotomy (SV). Subgroups underwent either laparotomy (sham operation; S‐POI) or laparotomy followed by standardized small bowel manipulation to induce postoperative ileus (POI). Three hours and 9 h later, respectively, a jejunal segment was harvested and infiltration of inflammatory cells in intestinal muscularis was evaluated by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) avidin and myeloperoxidase (MPO) staining. Moreover, the brain stem was harvested, and central nervous activation was investigated by Fos immunochemistry in both the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the area postrema (AP). Data are presented as mean ± SEM, and a p