Vagus nerve activity augments intestinal macrophage phagocytosis via nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha4beta2.

Journal article

BACKGROUND and AIMS: The vagus nerve negatively regulates macrophage cytokine production via the release of acetylcholine (ACh) and activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). In various models of intestinal inflammation, vagus nerve efferent stimulation ameliorates disease. Given the actively constrained cytokine responses of intestinal macrophages, we explored the effect of nAChR activation on endocytosis and phagocytosis by macrophages residing in the peritoneal and mucosal c...

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Authors: van der Zanden, E; Snoek, SA; Heinsbroek, SE; Stanisor, O; Verseijden, C

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Gastroenterology
• Volume: 137
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1029-1039.e4
• Publication date: 2009-09-01
• DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2009.04.057
• EISSN: 1528-0012
• ISSN: 0016-5085
• Language: English
• Keywords: Acetylcholine; Macrophages; Cells, Cultured; Endocytosis; Animals; Dynamin II; Intestinal Mucosa; Nicotine; Phagocytosis; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Male; Receptors, Nicotinic; Macrophages, Peritoneal; Vagus Nerve; Mice, Knockout; Cholinergic Agonists; Mice, Inbred BALB C