Exploration of Intrafascicular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Blood Pressure Reduction

The vagus nerve plays a pivotal role in regulating blood pressure, making vagus nerve stimulation a promising therapy for refractory hypertension. Nevertheless, most current research on vagus nerve stimulation for hypertension regulation employs rigid electrodes outside the nerve bundle, with limited exploration into the electrical stimulation paradigms. In this study, we employed the carbon nanotube yarn electrode, a flexible electrode, implanted in the left vagus nerve of rats to compare the modulatory effects of duty cycle and pulse width stimulation paradigms. Furthermore, we conducted a quantitative electrical stimulation experiment using the optimized duty cycle paradigm. The result showed that low-frequency stimulation yielded superior blood pressure regulation, whereas high-frequency stimulation resulted in apnea. In conclusion, intrafascicular vagus nerve stimulation with the duty-cycle paradigm demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing blood pressure compared to the pulse-width paradigm, with an optimal duty cycle identified at 20%. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing vagus nerve stimulation protocols in the treatment of hypertension.