VAGUS NERVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vagus nerve mean? 

• VAGUS NERVE (noun)
  The noun VAGUS NERVE has 1 sense:

1. a mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera

  Familiarity information: VAGUS NERVE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VAGUS NERVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mixed nerve that supplies the pharynx and larynx and lungs and heart and esophagus and stomach and most of the abdominal viscera

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

nervus vagus; pneumogastric; pneumogastric nerve; tenth cranial nerve; vagus; vagus nerve; wandering nerve

Hypernyms ("vagus nerve" is a kind of...):

cranial nerve (any of the 12 paired nerves that originate in the brain stem)

 Context examples 

Surgery to cut the parts of the vagus nerve that cause gastric acid to be made in the stomach.

(Parietal cell vagotomy, NCI Dictionary)

The electroacupuncture no longer reduced inflammation when the vagus nerve was cut.

(Electroacupuncture Reduces Sepsis in Mice, NIH)

When medicines are not working well, surgery or implanted devices such as vagus nerve stimulators may help.

(Epilepsy, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

A hole in the right crus of the diaphragm through which the esophagus and vagus nerve pass.

(Esophageal Opening, NCI Thesaurus)

Lerisetron specifically binds to 5-HT3 receptors, located peripherally on vagus nerve terminals and centrally in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) of the area postrema, which may result in suppression of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

(Lerisetron, NCI Thesaurus)

Dolasetron blocks the activity of serotonin released from the enterochromaffin cells of the small intestine by selectively inhibiting and inactivating 5-HT3 receptors located on the nerve terminals of the vagus nerve in the periphery and centrally in the chemoreceptor trigger zone of the area postrema.

(Dolasetron, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon application of the transdermal patch to the skin and subsequent release into the bloodstream, granisetron selectively binds to and blocks the 5-HT subtype 3 (5-HT3) receptors located in the vagus nerve terminal and in the vomiting center in the central nervous system (CNS).

(Granisetron Transdermal Patch, NCI Thesaurus)

Inflammation is known to be modulated by the vagus nerve.

(Electroacupuncture Reduces Sepsis in Mice, NIH)

Further experiments showed that stimulation of the vagus nerve triggered the adrenal glands to release catecholamines, including dopamine and norepinephrine.

(Electroacupuncture Reduces Sepsis in Mice, NIH)

Removal of the spleen in the mice, however, didn’t have an effect, indicating that the vagus nerve influenced inflammation through a novel route that didn’t involve the spleen.

(Electroacupuncture Reduces Sepsis in Mice, NIH)