Effects of vagal stimulation on experimentally induced seizures in rats

Repetitive stimulation of the vagus nerve inhibits chemically induced seizures in dogs. We report here the results and conclusions from studies designed to answer some of the immediate questions raised by this finding. (1) Maximal stimulation of vagal C fibers at frequencies greater than 4 Hz prevents or reduces chemically and electrically induced seizures in young male rats. (2) Antiepileptic potency is directly related to the fraction of vagal C fibers stimulated. (3) Vagal stimulation shortens but does not shut down a chemical seizure once it has begun. (4) In rats, optimal stimulus frequency is approximately 10-20 Hz; duration of stimulus, 0.5-1 ms; and stimulus strength, 0.2-0.5 mA/mm2 of nerve cross-section. These results, when taken together with similar results obtained from dogs, monkeys, and humans, strongly suggest that periodic stimulation of the vagus nerve using appropriate stimulation parameters is a powerful method for preventing seizures. The data from the literature suggest that the antiepileptic actions of vagal stimulation are largely mediated by widespread release of GABA and glycine in the brainstem and cerebral cortex. The probable pathway is via projections from the nucleus of the solitary tract to the reticular formation and thence by diffuse projections to the cortex and other areas. Intermittent vagal stimulation has the potentiality of reducing the number and/or the intensity of seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy. These results indicate that feasibility studies in humans should be continued and expanded.