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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 581/3/1333    most recent jphysiol.2007.131326v1 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bregeon, F. Articles by Jammes, Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bregeon, F. Articles by Jammes, Y. Related Collections Integrative

¹ Laboratoire de Physiopathologie Respiratoire (EA 2201), Institut Fédératif de Recherche ‘Jean Roche’, Faculté de Médicine, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
² Laboratoire des Déterminants Physiologiques de l'Activité Physique (EA3285), Institut Fédératif de Recherche ‘E.J. Marey’, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France

There is no study in the literature dealing with re-innervation of the cardiopulmonary vagus nerve after its transection followed by re-anastomosis. In the present study, we explored the bronchomotor, heart rate and respiratory responses in rats at 2, 3 and 6 months after re-anastomosis of one cervical vagus trunk. The conduction velocity of A, B and C waves was calculated in the compound vagal action potential. We searched for afferent vagal activities in phase with pulmonary inflation to assess the persistence of pulmonary stretch receptor (PSR) discharge in re-innervated lungs. In each animal, data from the stimulation or recording of one re-anastomosed vagus nerve were compared with those obtained in the contra-lateral intact one. Two and three months after surgery, the conduction velocities of A and B waves decreased, but recovery of conduction velocity was complete at 6 months. By contrast, the conduction velocity of the C wave did not change until 6 months, when it was doubled. The PSR activity was present in 50% of re-anastomosed vagus nerves at 2 and 3 months and in 75% at 6 months. Respiratory inhibition evoked by vagal stimulation was significantly weaker from the re-anastomosed than intact nerve at 2 but not 3 months. Vagal stimulation did not elicit cardiac slowing or bronchoconstriction 6 months after re-anastomosis. Our study demonstrates the capacity of pulmonary vagal sensory neurones to regenerate after axotomy followed by re-anastomosis, and the failure of the vagal efferents to re-innervate both the lungs and heart.

(Received 28 February 2007; accepted after revision 11 April 2007; first published online 12 April 2007)
Corresponding author Y. Jammes: Laboratoire de Physiopathologie Respiratoire (EA 2201), Institut Fédératif de Recherche ‘Jean Roche’, Faculté de Médicine, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. Email: jammes.y{at}jean-roche.univ-mrs.fr