The inflammatory reflex is a neural circuit that regulates the immune response to injury and invasion.
[3][4] The release of acetylcholine in the spleen suppresses the production of TNF and other cytokines which causes damaging inflammation.
[5] Signaling in the efferent arc of the inflammatory reflex, termed the "Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway," provides a regulatory check on the innate immune system response to invasion and injury.
The action potentials that arise in the vagus nerve are transmitted to the spleen, where a subset of specialized T cells are activated to secrete acetylcholine.
[7] Some research suggests that it is possible to implant nerve stimulants to replace anti-inflammatory drugs that target cytokine activity (e.g. anti-TNF and anti-IL-1 antibodies).