Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36831796›Full record

ArticleBrain sciences2023

Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Visceral Hypersensitivity and Gastric Motility and Depression-like Behaviors via Vago-Vagal Pathway in a Rat Model of Functional Dyspepsia.

Liwei Hou, Peijing Rong, Yang Yang, Jiliang Fang, Junying Wang, Yu Wang, Jinling Zhang, Shuai Zhang, Zixuan Zhang, Jiande D Z Chen and 1 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07662083 (Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Trans Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome Constipation Subtype), which is not on this map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07662083 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Trans Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome Constipation Subtype

TypeinterventionalSponsorWest Virginia UniversityRan2026 to 2027Enrolled80ConditionsIrritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-C)ArmsTranscutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (ta-VNS), Sham Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. [Research Advancements in Gastric Capacity Intervention for Childhood and Adolescent Obesity].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Xenin-25 improves indomethacin-induced acute gastric injury in rats.Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology · 2026
    Article
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  5. Review
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  13. Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Journal of translational gastroenterology · 2025
    Article
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  15. Article
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  18. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Liwei HouInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.ORCID 0000-0003-3476-2452
Peijing RongInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Yang YangWangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China.
Jiliang FangGuang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China.
Junying WangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Yu WangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Jinling ZhangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Shuai ZhangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Zixuan ZhangInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
Jiande D Z ChenDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Wei WeiWangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China.
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College · CNUniversity of Michigan · US

Funding

China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Innovation Fund CI2021A03405National Natural Science Foundation of China 81820108033;82174519
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation was recently reported to have a therapeutic potential for functional dyspepsia (FD). This study aimed to explore the integrative effects and mechanisms of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS) in a rodent model of FD.

methodsWe evaluated the effects of aVNS on visceral hypersensitivity, gastric motility and open field test (OFT) activity in iodoacetamide (IA)-treated rats. The autonomic function was assessed; blood samples and tissues were collected and analyzed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot. Vagotomy was performed to investigate the role of vagal efferent nerve.

resultsaVNS reduced the electromyography response to gastric distension, improved gastric emptying and increased the horizontal and vertical motion scores of the OFT in IA-treated rats. The sympathovagal ratio was increased in IA-treated rats but normalized with aVNS. The serum cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and NF-κBp65 were increased in IA-treated rats and decreased with aVNS. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis was hyperactive in IA-treated rats but inhibited by aVNS. The expression of duodenal desmoglein 2 and occludin were all decreased in IA-treated rats and increased with aVNS but not sham-aVNS. Vagotomy abolished the ameliorating effects of aVNS on gastric emptying, horizontal motions, serum TNF-α and duodenal NF-κBp65.

conclusionaVNS improves gastric motility and gastric hypersensitivity probably by anti-inflammatory mechanisms via the vago-vagal pathways. A better understanding on the mechanisms of action involved with aVNS would lead to the optimization of the taVNS methodology and promote taVNS as a non-pharmacological alternative therapy for FD.

Indexed as

cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathwayhypothalamic–pituitary-adrenal axisinflammationvagotomyvagus nerve

Identifiers

PMID36831796
PMCPMC9954117
OpenAlexW4319006876

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.