Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Improves Cognitive Impairment
After Traumatic Brain Injury Through the "Microbiota-Gut
Immune Barrier-Neuroinflammation"
Axis
Yue Zhao1,Xing Li2, Lu Zhou1,Xiuxiu
Xu1,Kangkang Ren2,
Duoduo Ren3,
and Lijuan Quan*1
1Department
of Rehabilitation, The 1st affiliated hospital,Jiangxi Medical College,Nanchang
University,Nanchang,China; 2Jiangxi Provincial People's
Hospital, The 1st affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College;
3College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University.
*Corresponding author:
ndyfy01461@ncu.edu.cn
Abstract
Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often leads to physical and mental
dysfunction in human and companion animal. Studies have shown that the gut
microbiota influences TBI progression and prognosis through the gut-brain axis.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has neuroprotective and cognitive benefits, but
its mechanism for alleviating cognitive impairment after TBI remains unclear.
Methods: A TBI model was established using a controlled cortical impact device
(CCI), with 3-day VNS intervention. To investigate the relationship between VNS
improving cognitive impairment after TBI and remodeling gut dysbiosis,
antibiotics were used to clear the gut microbiota of TBI mice. Cognitive
improvement was evaluated via behavioral tests. Inflammation, gut microbiota,
and colonic damage were analyzed via Nissl staining, immunofluorescence,
Hematoxylin-eosin staining, ELISA, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, qRT-PCR, and
western blot. Results: Our study revealed that VNS markedly enhanced cognition
and inhibits neuroinflammation in TBI mice by modulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB
pathway, while simultaneously reducing the abundance of cognition-impairing
associated Escherichia_Shigella and ameliorating intestinal barrier
dysfunction. After antibiotics eliminated the microbe, the effects of VNS on
improving cognition, alleviating colon injury, and suppressing neuroinflammation
were weakened. Conclusions: These findings reveal a novel microbiota-gut immune
barrier-neuroinflammation axis, supporting VNS-based interventions for TBI
management in both humans and companion animals.
To Cite This Article:
Zhao Y, Li X, Zhou L, Xu X, Ren K and Quan L 2025. Vagus nerve stimulation
improves cognitive impairment after traumatic brain injury through the "microbiota-gut
immune barrier-neuroinflammation" axis. Pak Vet J.
http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.252