Yu X, Wang XP, Yan XJ, Jiang JF, Lei F, Xing DM, Guo YY, Du LJ
Chinese Journal of Integrated Medicine, 2017
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the anti-nociceptive effect of patchouli alcohol (PA), the essential oil isolated from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Bent, and determine the mechanism in molecular levels.
METHODS:
The acetic acid-induced writhing test and formalin-induced plantar injection test in mice were employed to confifirm the effect in vivo. Intracellular calcium ion was imaged to verify PA on mu-opioid receptor (MOR). Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and MOR of mouse brain were expressed for determination of PA’s target. Cellular experiments were carried out to find out COX2 and MOR expression induced by PA.
RESULTS:
PA significantly reduced latency period of visceral pain and writhing induced by acetic acid saline solution (P<0.01) and allodynia after intra-plantar formalin (P<0.01) in mice. PA also up-regulated COX2 mRNA and protein (P<0.05) with a down-regulation of MOR (P<0.05) both in in vivo and in vitro experiments, which devote to the analgesic effect of PA. A decrease in the intracellular calcium level (P<0.05) induced by PA may play an important role in its anti-nociceptive effect. PA showed the characters of enhancing the MOR expression and reducing the intracellular calcium ion similar to opioid effect.
CONCLUSIONS:
Both COX2 and MOR are involved in the mechanism of PA’s anti-nociceptive effect, and the up-regulation of the receptor expression and the inhibition of intracellular calcium are a new perspective to PA’s effect on MOR.
CITATION:
Yu X, Wang XP, Yan XJ et al. Anti-nociceptive effect of patchouli alcohol: Involving attenuation of cyclooxygenase 2 and modulation of mu-opioid receptor. Chin J Integr Med. 2017 Aug 9. doi: 10.1007/s11655-017-2952-4.
[maxbutton id=”2340″]