Agarwood Essential Oil Displays Sedative-Hypnotic Effects through the GABAergic System

作者：Wang, Shuai; Wang, Canhong; Peng, Deqian; Liu, Xinmin; Wu, Chongming; Guo, Peng^*; Wei, Jianhe^*

来源：Molecules, 2017, 22(12): 2190.

DOI：10.3390/molecules22122190

• agarwood essential oil
• sedative-hypnotic effect
• ethology
• GABAergic system

Although agarwood has been used as a tranquilizer in Asian countries for hundreds of years, the underlying pharmacological basis is still unclear. This study investigated the sedative-hypnotic effect of agarwood essential oil (AEO) using locomotor activity and pentobarbital-induced sleeping assays in mice. Single (1-day) and multiple (7- and 14-days) administrations of 60 mg/kg AEO generated significant sedative effect on inhibiting locomotor activity and hypnotic effect on pentobarbital-induced sleeping in mice. Interestingly, prolonged AEO treatment did not result in obvious desensitization. Concoitant measurement of the levels of brain neurotransmitters using ultrafast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) indicated that AEO had no significant effect on the levels of glutamic acid (Glu) and -aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. However, the sedative-hypnotic effects were blocked by the type A GABA (GABA(A)) receptor antagonists bicuculline and flumazenil. In addition, AEO significantly elevated the expression of GABA(A) receptor subunits and subtypes in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, AEO increased chlorine ion (Cl-) influx through GABA(A) receptors in human neuroblastoma cells. These results together demonstrate that AEO exerts its sedative-hypnotic effects through regulating gene expression of GABA(A) receptors and potentiating GABA(A) receptor function.

• 出版日期2017-12
• 单位北京协和医学院; 河北医科大学; 中国医学科学院北京协和医院; 海南医学院