PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF VAGUS NERVE-STIMULATION ON FOREBRAIN ISCHEMIA INGERBIL HIPPOCAMPUS

THE left vagus nerve was stimulated during transient forebrain ischaem ia in gerbils. The animals were exposed to 3 min of forebrain ischaemi c insult at 37.5 degrees C. On day 5 post-ischaemia, the animals were perfusion-fixed for qualitative and quantitative histopathological ana lyses. High current stimulation of the vagus nerve inhibited ischaemic neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 sector (p<0.01), but low curre nt stimulation did not (p<0.01). These effects might have been due to inhibition the effects of excitatory amino acids during ischaemia. The se results indicate that vagus nerve stimulation might be protective t o neurones subjected to ischaemic insult.