Table 1.
Overview of studies that investigated cutting the nerves or nerve stimulation in models of colitis.
| Type of Stimulation or Denervation | Colitis Model | Species | Study | Location | Stimulation Details | Main Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vagotomy | Acute DSS | C57BL/6 mice | Ghia 2006 [3] | Sub-diaphragmatic | - | DAI ↑ |
| Macroscopic score ↑ | ||||||
| Histology score ↑ | ||||||
| MPO ↑ | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines ↑ | ||||||
| Di Gio-vangiulio 2016 [31] | Sub-diaphragmatic | - | DAI ↑ | |||
| Weight loss ↑ | ||||||
| Survival rate ↓ | ||||||
| Willemze 2018 [33] | Intestine specific (celiac branch vagus) | - | DAI = | |||
| Weight loss = | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines = | ||||||
| Relapsing DSS | C57BL/6 mice | Ghia 2007 [30] | Sub-diaphragmatic | - | DAI ↑ | |
| Macroscopic score = | ||||||
| Histology score ↑ | ||||||
| MPO ↑ | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines ↑ | ||||||
| VNS | TNBS | Sprague-Dawley rats | Meregnani 2011 [34] | Left cervical vagus | 3h per day 1 mA, 5 Hz, 500 μs, 10 s ON, 90 s OFF |
Weight loss ↓ |
| Histology score ↓ | ||||||
| Colitis index ↓ | ||||||
| MPO ↓ | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines = | ||||||
| Sun 2013 [35] | Left cervical vagus | 3h per day 0.25 mA, 20 Hz, 500 μs, 30 s ON, 5 min OFF |
DAI ↓ | |||
| Weight loss ↓ | ||||||
| Macroscopic score ↓ | ||||||
| Histology score ↓ | ||||||
| MPO ↓ | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines ↓ | ||||||
| Jin 2017 [36] | Left cervical vagus | 3h per day 1–3 mA, 5 Hz, 500 μs 10 s ON, 90 s OFF |
DAI ↓ | |||
| Weight loss ↓ | ||||||
| Macroscopic score ↓ | ||||||
| Histology score ↓ | ||||||
| MPO ↓ | ||||||
| Plasma cytokines ↓ | ||||||
| Payne 2019 [38] | Sub-diaphragmatic | 3h per day 1.6 mA, 10 Hz, 200 μs 30 s ON, 5 min OFF |
Stool score↓ | |||
| Blood in stool ↓ | ||||||
| Plasma C-reactive protein↓ | ||||||
| Histology score↓ | ||||||
| Intestinal leukocyte infiltration↓ | ||||||
| Oxazolone | Balb/c mice | Meroni 2018 [4] | Right cervical vagus | 5 min per day 1 mA, 5 Hz, 1000 μs |
Survival rate ↑ | |
| Histology scores = | ||||||
| Colonic and serum cytokines ↓ | ||||||
| Sympathec-tomy | TNBS | Sprague-Dawley rats | McCaf-ferty 1997 [39] | Systemic (6-OHDA) |
- | Macroscopic score ↓ |
| Histology score ↓ | ||||||
| MPO ↑ | ||||||
| Acute DSS | BALB/c mice | Straub 2008 [40] | Systemic (6-OHDA) |
- | Colon length ↑ | |
| Histology score ↓ | ||||||
| C57BL/6 mice | Willemze 2018 [33] | Superior mesenteric nerve | - | DAI ↑ | ||
| Weight loss = | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines = | ||||||
| Relapsing DSS | BALB/c mice | Straub 2008 [40] | Systemic (6-OHDA) |
- | Colon length ↓ | |
| Histology score ↑ | ||||||
| Spontaneous | IL10 -/- mice | Straub 2008 [40] | Systemic (6-OHDA) |
- | Histology score ↑ Colonic cytokines ↑ |
|
| RAG1 -/- mice | Willemze 2019 [41] | Systemic (6-OHDA) |
- | Weight loss = | ||
| Colon weight = | ||||||
| Histology score ↑ | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines = | ||||||
| Superior mesenteric nerve | - | Weight loss = | ||||
| Colon weight ↑ | ||||||
| Histology score ↑ | ||||||
| Endoscopy score = | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines ↑ | ||||||
| SNS | Acute DSS | Sprague-Dawley rats | Willemze 2018 [33] | Superior mesenteric nerve | 5 min twice daily 0.2 mA, 10 Hz, 2000 μs |
DAI ↓ |
| Weight loss = | ||||||
| Histology = | ||||||
| Colonic cytokines = | ||||||
| Endoscopy score = |
VNS—vagus nerve stimulation; SNS—sympathetic nerve stimulation; DSS—dextran sulfate sodium; TNBS—trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid; DAI—disease activity index; MPO—myeloperoxidase; 6-OHDA—6-hydroxydopamine.