Background: Trauma/Hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) induced gut injury is known to initiate a dysfunctional inflammatory response leading to secondary lung injury. Our group has shown that vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) protects the intestinal epithelial integrity, attenuates inflammatory cytokine formation, and protects the lung after a thermal insult. We hypothesize that VNS will protect the lung from injury following trauma/hemorrhagic shock.Methods: Male Balb/c mice were subjected to a trauma/hemorrhagic shock model (mean arterial pressure of 35 mmHg for one hour), with and without right cervical vagal nerve stimulation. A cohort of animals underwent abdominal vagotomy (Vx) at the gastro-esophageal junction prior to vagal nerve stimulation and trauma/hemorrhagic shock. Lung histology (H&E), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and ICAM-1 immuno-staining, and MPO enzymatic assay were analyzed 24 hours post-shock …