"Green odor" inhalation reduces the skin-barrier disruption induced by chronic restraint stress in rats: physiological and histological examinations.
We investigated whether inhalation of green odor (a mixture of equal amounts of trans-2-hexenal and cis-3-hexenol) prevents the skin-barrier disruption induced by chronic restraint stress in rats. To this end, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured as an index of the disruption of skin-barrier function, whereas light- and electron-microscope examinations were performed to observe histological changes in the skin of the stressed animals. In addition, the effects on TEWL induced by chronic administration of a glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), were examined. Chronic restraint stress (8 h per day for 14 days) increased TEWL (vehicle + stress group). This effect (and the chronic stress-induced increase in adrenal weight) was prevented in rats that inhaled green odor at the beginning of each day's restraint (2 h each day for 14 days; green odor + stress group). Electron-microscope studies revealed that rats in the green odor + stress group possessed sufficient intercorneocyte lipids to create an effective skin barrier, although these had apparently been decreased in the vehicle + stress group. Daily administration of DEX for 14 days increased TEWL. The present results suggest that chronic stress-induced disruption of the skin barrier in rats can be reduced or prevented by green odor (possibly at least in part through an inhibitory effect on the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis).
Fukada
Mika
M
Division of Integrative Physiology, Department of Functional, Morphological and Regulatory Science, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori 683, Japan.
Kaidoh
Toshiyuki
T
Ito
Ai
A
Yano
Tomomi
T
Hayashibara
Chie
C
Watanabe
Tatsuo
T
D000447:Aldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000441:Hexanols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012903:Smell; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible / Q000187:drug effects*
D000447:Aldehydes; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000441:Hexanols; C051918:3-hexen-1-ol; C051750:2-hexenal; D003907:Dexamethasone