It is well established that the autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in the detection, integration and response to peripheral inflammation and/or infection. Our interest is mainly focused on the immunosensory role of the vagus nerve. We discovered that vagal nerve stimulation dampens the inflammation in our mouse model of postoperative ileus (POI) (i.e., local inflammation due to gentle and localized intestinal manipulation). This observation, which indicates an anti-inflammatory role of the vagus nerve, led us to investigate further the anatomical and physiological relationship between the brain and the small intestine in our POI mice.

Cathy Cailotto is an affiliated post-doc. Her research project is in close collaboration with Prof. Dr. G.E.E. Boeckxstaens, Maag-, Darm- en Leverziekten, at the AMC.