Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Protects Endotoxemic Rat from Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation

Figure 2

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) or transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (ta-VNS) attenuates the LPS-induced serum cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) response. TEAS on ST36 inhibited TNF-α level significantly. Serum TNF-α (a), IL-1β (b), and IL-6 (c) contents were measured by ELISA. The columns represent mean ± SEM for 12 animals in each group. ^▵▵𝑃<0.01 versus the normal saline (NS) group; ^∗𝑃<0.05 versus LPS group (LPS); ^∗∗𝑃<0.01 versus LPS group (LPS); ^#𝑃<0.05 versus LPS+VNS group; ^##𝑃<0.01 versus LPS+VNS group.

(a)

(b)

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