Figure 5.
The serum levels of corticosterone in sepsis are modulated by the vagus nerve. Vagotomy in the nonseptic organism does not influence the corticosterone level (205.9 ± 56.75 ng/mL). In polymicrobial sepsis, serum corticosterone is detected with 159.4 ± 53.24 ng/mL. In contrast, 24 h following CASP in vagotomised mice the corticosterone level is significantly increased up to 975.4 ± 261.9 ng/mL (*P = 0.031, Mann-Whitney, n = 5).