title: The essential oil from Angelica gigas NAKAI suppresses nicotine sensitization.
abstract: Behavioral sensitization, as evidenced by the progressive enhanced locomotor response to a subsequent injection of the drug, is the major behavioral outcome produced by repeated injections of nicotine, and a model for studying drug addiction. It is putatively regarded that the alteration of extracellular dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens is closely associated with nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization. The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of the essential oil from Angelica gigas NAKAI (on fragrance inhalation) on repeated nicotine-induced locomotor activity and extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens of rats using in vivo microdialysis. Rats were given repeated injections of saline or nicotine (0.4 mg/kg s.c., twice a day for 7 d), followed by one challenge injection on the 4th day after the last daily injection. Systemic challenge with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg s.c.) produced a larger increase in locomotor activity in nicotine-pretreated rats than in saline-pretreated rats. A direct local challenge of 3 mM nicotine via a microdialysis probe also induced a larger increase in dopamine release in nicotine-pretreated rats than in saline-pretreated rats. Most importantly, our results showed that inhalation of the essential oils from Angelica gigas NAKAI significantly decreased both dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and locomotor activity induced by a nicotine challenge. These results suggest that the essential oils from Angelica gigas NAKAI inhibit nicotine-induced behavioral and neurochemical sensitization, and imply that the essential oil from Angelica gigas NAKAI may be effective in treating nicotine addiction, possibly by modulating dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Biomedical Resources of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Korea.
authors.forename: Rong Jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Byung Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Geun Woo
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jong Rok
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi Ryeo
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Kyu
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Kwang Joong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae-lin
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Dae-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Insop
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Chae Ha
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D029969:Angelica; D000818:Animals; D019341:Aromatherapy / Q000379:methods; D004298:Dopamine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D027541:Mentha / Q000737:chemistry; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine