Yanyan Yang, Yonggui Song, Weize Xu, Zhifu Ai, Genhua Zhu, Ming Yang, Qin Zheng, Huanhua Xu, Yali Liu, Yuhui Ping, Dan Su
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Citrus medica L. has been cultivated in China for over two thousand years, with the effects of soothing the liver, regulating qi. Studies have shown that it can relieve anxiety. Its combination with other traditional Chinese medicines has been widely used in clinical practice assist in the treatment of anxiety and depression. The essential oil rich in peel is important active substance of Citrus medica L. A large number of studies have confirmed that essential oils are commonly used to relieve pain, psychological stress and induce relaxation. However, there are currently no studies on the effects of Citrus medica L. essential oil (CEO) on anxiety.
Aim of the study: Anxiety has become the most common mental illness worldwide, so effective and diverse prevention and control methods are urgently needed. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect and optimal administration route of CEO on anxiety caused by different susceptibility factors, and to further explore its potential mechanism for improving anxiety, providing scientific guidance for the application of CEO.
Materials and methods: Induce anxiety models caused by fatigue or stress, and use animal behavior as an indicator to evaluate the CEO. To illustrate the underlying mechanisms of anti-anxiety effect of CEO, histological examination, immunofluorescence staining and Western Blot were carried out.
Results: The results showed that the safer inhalation administration was more effective. Compared with the stress-induced anxiety model, CEO has a more obvious effect on fatigue-induced anxiety. After CEO administration, the frequency, time, and movement distance of fatigue-type anxious mice in Open Field Test (OFT) increased significantly. During Elevated Plus Maze Test (EPM), the mice spent more time and have more entry in the open arm. Further research found that CEO can significantly increase cerebral blood flow, recover damaged neurons in the hippocampus. RNA-seq analysis investigated that CEO can significantly improve gene expression in the hippocampus of fatigue accompanied anxiety mice. The underlying mechanism is significantly related to cholinergic system pathways. Further research found that the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) in anxious mice was down-regulated, accompanied by decreased activation of its downstream ERK/CREB. Inhaling essential oil improved fatigue-induced anxiety by reversing this phenomenon.
Conclusions: The results demonstrated that CEO have a significant anti-anxiety effect, especially fatigue induced anxiety. Our research results verify the accuracy and effectiveness of symptomatic treatment strategies for anxiety caused by different susceptibility factors, and provide scientific guidance for the rational use of CEO.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Ethnopharmacology is dedicated to the exchange of information and understandings about people''s use of plants, fungi, animals, microorganisms and minerals and their biological and pharmacological effects based on the principles established through international conventions. Early people confronted with illness and disease, discovered a wealth of useful therapeutic agents in the plant and animal kingdoms. The empirical knowledge of these medicinal substances and their toxic potential was passed on by oral tradition and sometimes recorded in herbals and other texts on materia medica. Many valuable drugs of today (e.g., atropine, ephedrine, tubocurarine, digoxin, reserpine) came into use through the study of indigenous remedies. Chemists continue to use plant-derived drugs (e.g., morphine, taxol, physostigmine, quinidine, emetine) as prototypes in their attempts to develop more effective and less toxic medicinals.
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