SUBDIAPHRAGMATIC VAGOTOMY DOES NOT PREVENT FEVER FOLLOWING INTRACEREBROVENTRICULAR PROSTAGLANDIN E-2 - FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF VAGAL AFFERENTS IN IMMUNE-TO-BRAIN COMMUNICATION

Brain-mediated sickness responses can be blocked by subdiaphragmatic v agotomy, suggesting that vagal afferents signal peripheral inflammatio n or infection. This study tested whether subdiaphragmatic vagotomy di srupts sickness responses by interrupting effector pathways. If this e xplanation is correct, intracerebroventricular prostaglandin E-2-induc ed fever should be blocked by this procedure. Fever was unaffected by subdiaphragmatic vagotomy, thus these data provide support for the con clusion that vagal afferents signal the brain during immune activation . (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.