Genetic labeling of the nucleus of tractus solitarius neurons associated with electrical stimulation of the cervical or auricular vagus nerve in mice.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is clinically useful for treating epilepsy, depression, and chronic pain. Currently, cervical VNS (cVNS) treatment is well-established, while auricular VNS (aVNS) is under development. Vagal stimulation regulates functions in diverse brain regions; therefore, it is critical to better understand how electrically-evoked vagal inputs following cVNS and aVNS engage with different brain regions.

Objective

As vagus inputs are predominantly transmitted to the nucleus of tractus solitarius (NTS), we directly compared the activation of NTS neurons by cVNS or aVNS and the brain regions directly projected by the activated NTS neurons in mice.

Methods

We adopted the targeted recombination in active populations method, which allows for th

SUBMITTER: Ali MSS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11555405 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature