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AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Non-canonical cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in IBD

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 17, pages 651–652 (2020)Cite this article

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Vagus nerve stimulation has shown promise in treating inflammatory bowel disease. A new study identifies a hepatic vagal branch pathway necessary to maintain colonic immune cell homeostasis in experimental colitis, challenging the dogma that an anti-inflammatory reflex requires an intact spleen and that α7-nicotinic receptor agonists are a panacea for inflammatory conditions.

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Fig. 1: The common hepatic branch of the vagus nerve increases abundance of colonic regulatory T cells in colitis.

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Acknowledgements

A.A. and G.L. are both supported by grants from NIH-NIDDK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Alan de Araujo & Guillaume de Lartigue

  2. Center for Integrative Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Alan de Araujo & Guillaume de Lartigue

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  1. Alan de Araujo
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  2. Guillaume de Lartigue
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Correspondence to Guillaume de Lartigue.

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de Araujo, A., de Lartigue, G. Non-canonical cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in IBD. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 17, 651–652 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-0356-y

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