Essential Oils and Factors Related to Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality and a major economic burden worldwide. Various drugs, including antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, and antiplatelet agents, are prescribed to treat CVDs, but these agents have side effects, including serious side effects such as bleeding. Therefore, efforts are being made to develop new drugs made of natural substances with relatively weak side effects. Essential oils are natural substances extracted from aromatic plants with biological effects, such as antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities. These oils have therefore long been used in traditional medicines. This chapter reviews the effects of essential oils on CVD-related factors. Essential oils have various effects, including improvements in lipid balance, liver function, and endothelial function; reductions in blood pressure, oxidative stress, thrombosis, and inflammation; promotion of vascular relaxation; and inhibition of diabetes development and angiogenesis. Therefore, essential oils and their active components may be promising therapeutic agents for CVDs. Further studies are needed to clarify their clinical effects and to elucidate their specific mechanisms of activity

The Effect of 1,8-Cineole Inhalation on Preoperative Anxiety: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inhalation of eucalyptus oil and its constituents on anxiety in patients before selective nerve root block (SNRB). This study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in 62 patients before SNRB. The patients were randomized to inhale limonene, 1,8-cineole, or eucalyptus oil, each at concentrations of 1% vol/vol in almond oil or almond oil (control). Anxiety-visual analog scale (A-VAS), state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), profile of mood states (POMS), pain-visual analog scale (P-VAS), blood pressure, and pulse rate were measured before and after inhalation prior to SNRB. Measures of anxiety, including A-VAS (P<0.001), STAI (P=0.005), and POMS (P<0.001), were significantly lower in 1,8-cineole than in the control group and significantly greater in 1,8-cineole than in the eucalyptus group in A-VAS. P-VAS was significantly lower after than before inhalation of limonene, 1,8-cineole, and eucalyptus, despite having no significant difference in the four groups compared with control group. 1,8-Cineole, a major constituent of eucalyptus, was effective in decreasing anxiety before SNRB. The present findings suggest that inhalation of 1,8-cineole may be used to relieve anxiety before, during, and after various operations, in addition to SNRB

Multiple receptors coupled to phospholipase C gate long-term depression in visual cortex

Mind/Brain Institute and Department of Neurosciences and 2Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, and 3National CRI Center for Calcium and Learning, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Cheongryang, Seoul 136-791, Korea Long-term depression (LTD) in sensory cortices depends on the activation of NMDA receptors. Here, we report that in visual cortical slices, the induction of LTD (but not long-term potentiation) also requires the activation of receptors coupled to the phospholipase C (PLC) pathway. Using immunolesions in combination with agonists and antagonists, we selectively manipulated the activation of 1 adrenergic, M1 muscarinic, and mGluR5 glutamatergic receptors. Inactivation of these PLC-coupled receptors prevents the induction of LTD, but only when the three receptors were inactivated together. LTD is fully restored by activating any one of them or by supplying intracellular D-myo-inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3). LTD was also impaired by intracellular application of PLC or IP3 receptor blockers, and it was absent in mice lacking PLC1, the predominant PLC isoform in the forebrain. We propose that visual cortical LTD requires a minimum of PLC activity that can be supplied independently by at least three neurotransmitter systems. This essential requirement places PLC-linked receptors in a unique position to control the induction of LTD and provides a mechanism for gating visual cortical plasticity via extra-retinal inputs in the intact organism

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Oil and Its Active Constituent Linalyl Acetate Alleviate Pain and Urinary Residual Sense after Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Pain and urinary symptoms following colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery are frequent and carry a poor recovery. This study tested the effects of inhalation of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (lavender) oil or linalyl acetate on pain relief and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) following the removal of indwelling urinary catheters from patients after CRC surgery. This randomised control study recruited 66 subjects with indwelling urinary catheters after undergoing CRC surgery who later underwent catheter removal. Patients inhaled 1% lavender, 1% linalyl acetate, or vehicle (control group) for 20 minutes. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), heart rate, LUTS, and visual analog scales of pain magnitude and quality of life (QoL) regarding urinary symptoms were measured before and after inhalation. Systolic BP, diastolic BP, heart rate, LUTS, and QoL satisfaction with urinary symptoms were similar in the three groups. Significant differences in pain magnitude and urinary residual sense of indwelling catheters were observed among the three groups, with inhalation of linalyl acetate being significantly more effective than inhalation of lavender or vehicle. Inhalation of linalyl acetate is an effective nursing intervention to relieve pain and urinary residual sense of indwelling urinary catheters following their removal from patients who underwent CRC surgery

BodyThink program-based body image education improves Korean adolescents’ attitudes toward cosmetic surgery: randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background The aims of this study were to modify the widely used BodyThink program to suit the circumstances of Korean schools and determine its effects on body esteem, body image, appearance stress, depression, and attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. Methods Participants were 184 third-grade students from two middle schools in Korea, who were randomly assigned to a control or intervention group. Two of the participants dropped out; hence, data from 182 students were analyzed. The control group received the existing curriculum for 4 sessions, and the experimental group was provided with 4 sessions of the revised BodyThink program. Before and after the intervention, all participants completed questionnaires. Results In the BodyThink group, improved body image, decreased depression, and positive improvements in attitudes toward cosmetic plastic surgery were observed after the intervention. Discussion These results suggest that school health nurses can utilize interventions based on BodyThink program in their curricula to improve the physical and emotional health of adolescents. Trial registration This study has been retrospectively registered with the Clinical Research information Service (CRIS) in Korea on October 5, 2023 (KCT0008839)

Ginsenoside Rb₁ Reduces Hyper-Vasoconstriction Induced by High Glucose and Endothelial Dysfunction in Rat Aorta

Acute hyperglycemia induces oxidative damage and inflammation, leading to vascular dysfunction. Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) is a major component of red ginseng with anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects and the underlying mechanisms of Rb1 on hypercontraction induced by high glucose (HG) and endothelial dysfunction (ED). The isometric tension of aortic rings was measured by myography. The rings were treated with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to induce chemical destruction of the endothelium, and Rb1 was added after HG induction. The agonist-induced vasoconstriction was significantly higher in the aortic rings treated with L-NAME + HG50 than in those treated with HG50 or L-NAME (p = 0.011) alone. Rb1 significantly reduced the hypercontraction in the aortic rings treated with L-NAME + HG50 (p = 0.004). The ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP) blocker glibenclamide tended to increase the Rb1-associated reduction in the agonist-induced vasoconstriction in the rings treated with L-NAME + HG50. The effect of Rb1 in the aortic rings treated with L-NAME + HG50 resulted from a decrease in extracellular Ca2+ influx through the receptor-operated Ca2+ channel (ROCC, 10−6–10−4 M CaCl2, p −3–2.5 × 10−3 M CaCl2, p = 0.001) and the voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (VGCC, 10−6 M CaCl2, p = 0.003; 10−5–10−2 M CaCl2, p 1 did not interfere with Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. In conclusion, we found that Rb1 reduced hyper-vasoconstriction induced by HG and ED by inhibiting the ROCC and the VGCC, and possibly by activating the KATP in rat aorta. This study provides further evidence that Rb1 could be developed as a therapeutic target for ED in diabetes

Astrocytes Reduce Store-Operated Ca2+ Entry in Microglia under the Conditions of an Inflammatory Stimulus and Muscarinic Receptor Blockade

Inflammation and loss of cholinergic transmission are involved in neurodegenerative diseases, but possible interactions between them within neurons, astrocytes, and microglia have not yet been investigated. We aimed to compare store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia following cholinergic dysfunction in combination with (or without) an inflammatory stimulus and to investigate the effects of linalyl acetate (LA) on this process. We used the SH-SY5Y, U373, and BV2 cell lines related to neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, respectively. Scopolamine or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to antagonize the muscarinic receptors or induce inflammatory responses, respectively. The concentration of intracellular Ca2+ was measured using Fura-2 AM. Treatment with scopolamine and LPS significantly increased SOCE in the neuron-like cells and microglia but not in the scopolamine-pretreated astrocytes. LA significantly reduced SOCE in the scopolamine-pretreated neuron-like cells and microglia exposed to LPS, which was partially inhibited by the Na+-K+ ATPase inhibitor ouabain and the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) inhibitor Ni2+. Notably, SOCE was significantly reduced in the LPS plus scopolamine-pretreated cells mixed with astrocytes and microglia, with a two-fold increase in the applied number of astrocytes. LA may be useful in protecting neurons and microglia by reducing elevated SOCE that is induced by inflammatory responses and inhibiting the muscarinic receptors via Na+-K+ ATPase and the forward mode of NCX. Astrocytes may protect microglia by reducing increased SOCE under the conditions of inflammation and a muscarinic receptor blockade

Effects of Inhalation of Essential Oil of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara on Menopausal Symptoms, Stress, and Estrogen in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to investigate the effects of inhalation of the essential oil of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara (neroli oil) on menopausal symptoms, stress, and estrogen in postmenopausal women. Sixty-three healthy postmenopausal women were randomized to inhale 0.1% or 0.5% neroli oil or almond oil (control) for 5 minutes twice daily for 5 days. Menopause-related symptoms, as determined by the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL); sexual desire visual analog scale (VAS); serum cortisol and estrogen concentrations, blood pressure, pulse, and stress VAS, were measured before and after inhalation. Compared with the control group, the two neroli oil groups showed significant improvements in the physical domain score of the MENQOL and in sexual desire. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the group inhaling 0.5% neroli oil than in the control group. Compared with the control group, the two neroli oil groups showed significantly lower diastolic blood pressure and tended to improve pulse rate and serum cortisol and estrogen concentrations. These findings indicate that inhalation of neroli oil helps relieve menopausal symptoms, increase sexual desire, and reduce blood pressure in postmenopausal women. Neroli oil may have potential as an effective intervention to reduce stress and improve the endocrine system

Effects of Inhalation of Essential Oil of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara on Menopausal Symptoms, Stress, and Estrogen in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to investigate the effects of inhalation of the essential oil of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara (neroli oil) on menopausal symptoms, stress, and estrogen in postmenopausal women. Sixty-three healthy postmenopausal women were randomized to inhale 0.1% or 0.5% neroli oil or almond oil (control) for 5 minutes twice daily for 5 days. Menopause-related symptoms, as determined by the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL); sexual desire visual analog scale (VAS); serum cortisol and estrogen concentrations, blood pressure, pulse, and stress VAS, were measured before and after inhalation. Compared with the control group, the two neroli oil groups showed significant improvements in the physical domain score of the MENQOL and in sexual desire. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the group inhaling 0.5% neroli oil than in the control group. Compared with the control group, the two neroli oil groups showed significantly lower diastolic blood pressure and tended to improve pulse rate and serum cortisol and estrogen concentrations. These findings indicate that inhalation of neroli oil helps relieve menopausal symptoms, increase sexual desire, and reduce blood pressure in postmenopausal women. Neroli oil may have potential as an effective intervention to reduce stress and improve the endocrine system