Abstract 18659: Electrical Stimulation of the Intact Right Cervical Vago-Sympathetic Trunk Decreases Myocardial Norepinehrine Spillover in the Setting of Sympathetic Activation

Introduction: Cervical vagus nerve electrical stimulation (VNS) has been shown to improve functional indices in the setting of heart failure with depressed parasympathetic control. However, the cervical vagus nerve trunk contains sympathetic fibers which upon stimulation could paradoxically increase cardiac sympathetic drive and negatively affect the effects of VNS. This study assessed the cardiac hemodynamic/catecholamines effects of acute cervical intact-nerve VNS in vivo. Methods: Ten beagle dogs (10.2 ± 0.7 kg) were anesthetized/instrumented with a clinically-applicable right-cervical VNS stimulation cuff/system. The effects of acute VNS stimulation (4 - 8 mA) on systemic/left-ventricular (LV) hemodynamics, and systemic/coronary sinus norepinephrine (NE) levels/spillover were assessed both under control conditions and compensatory cardiac sympathetic stimulation during induced hypotension (SNP, 2-5 ug/kg/min IV). Results: Under control conditions, acute VNS triggered small dose-dependent increases in ...