Notch signaling pathway mediates anti-inflammatory effects of vagus nerve stimulation during lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury

The molecular mechanisms in immune system underlying anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective effects of the CAP are emerging, and we have found that Notch2 in macrophages mediates those effects of VNS-mediated CAP activation in the context of sepsis-associated AKI.

However, the mechanisms in the kidneys have not been well investigated. To identify key players in tissue protection by VNS in the kidneys, we report here the gene expression changes in the kidneys of mice that underwent VNS during LPS-induced AKI. We also used macrophage-specific Notch2 knockout mice for this analysis to examine the relationship between VNS-responsive factors in the kidneys and Notch2 in macrophages.