Zhang Kai, Yao Lei
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Physiol Behav. 2018 May 15;189:50-58. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.01.004. Epub 2018 Jan 8.
Essential oil from Juniperus virginiana L. (eastern red cedarwood essential oil, CWO) has been used to relax mind and enhance comfort for medical purposes. Few reports showed its effect on anxiety behaviors in animal models. The present study investigated the anxiolytic effect of CWO using two anxiety tests in mice, then determined the major active constituents, examined the change of neurotransmitters after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration. Analysis using GC/MS revealed that the CWO contained (-)-α-cedrene (28.11%), (+)-β-cedrene (7.81%), (-)-thujopsene (17.71%) and (+)-cedrol (24.58%). CWO at 400-800mg/kg increased the percentage of open arm entries and the percentage of the time spent in open arms in the elevated plus maze (EPM), suggesting that the oil has anxiolytic effect. However, it didn't show anxiolytic effect in the light-dark box (LDB) test. Tests of the cedrene did not show anxiolytic effect in either test, but rather induced anxiety-related behaviors and inhibited the locomotor activity in EPM and LDB. Cedrol produced significant anxiolytic effect in both EPM and LDB tests at 400-1600mg/kg and 800-1600mg/kg, respectively. A more significant increase in locomotor activity was observed in cedrol at 200-1600mg/kg administration than CWO. CWO increased the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) concentration at 800mg/kg, whereas it didn't affect the dopamine (DA) concentration. Cedrol significantly reduced the DA level at 100-200mg/kg and elevated the 5-HT level at 1200-1600mg/kg. Moreover, it changed the ratio of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid/5-HT and 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid/DA at 1200-1600mg/kg. CWO and cedrol, in particular might act in an anxiolytic effect through the 5-HTnergic and DAnergic pathways.
维吉尼亚杜松（弗吉尼亚红雪松木精油，CWO）的精油已被用于医疗目的，以放松身心并增强舒适感。很少有报告显示其对动物模型焦虑行为的影响。本研究使用两种小鼠焦虑测试来研究CWO的抗焦虑作用，然后确定其主要活性成分，检查腹腔注射（i.p.）后神经递质的变化。使用气相色谱/质谱联用仪（GC/MS）分析表明，CWO含有（-）-α-雪松烯（28.11%）、（+）-β-雪松烯（7.81%）、（-）-土荆芥烯（17.71%）和（+）-雪松醇（24.58%）。400-800mg/kg的CWO增加了高架十字迷宫（EPM）中进入开放臂的百分比和在开放臂中花费的时间百分比，表明该精油具有抗焦虑作用。然而，它在明暗箱（LDB）测试中未显示出抗焦虑作用。雪松烯的测试在两种测试中均未显示出抗焦虑作用，反而在EPM和LDB中诱发了与焦虑相关的行为并抑制了运动活动。雪松醇在400-1600mg/kg和800-1600mg/kg时分别在EPM和LDB测试中产生了显著的抗焦虑作用。在200-1600mg/kg给药时，观察到雪松醇比CWO对运动活动有更显著的增加。800mg/kg的CWO增加了5-羟色胺（5-HT）浓度，而它不影响多巴胺（DA）浓度。雪松醇在100-200mg/kg时显著降低了DA水平，在1200-1600mg/kg时提高了5-HT水平。此外，它在1200-1600mg/kg时改变了5-羟吲哚乙酸/5-HT和3,4-二羟基苯乙酸/DA的比例。CWO和雪松醇，特别是可能通过5-羟色胺能和多巴胺能途径发挥抗焦虑作用。
