Abstract
【Purpose】 β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a volatile bicyclic sesquiterpenoid found in spices. It is a ligand for several receptors including CB2 receptor, and orally administered BCP has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory effect. We previously reported that BCP was detected in the serum and organs of mice that inhaled BCP, indicating BCP is transferred into the body by either oral or inhalation routes. However, the bioactivities of inhaled BCP and the distributional difference between oral administration and inhalation remains unknown. In this study, we performed two experiments: 1. Evaluation of the effects of BCP inhalation on nicotine-induced vascular degeneration and 2. Comparison of distribution patterns of orally administered or inhaled BCP. 【Methods】1. Male ddy mice were used, and BCP inhalation was performed three times a week for 60 minutes. Two weeks after the start of the experiment, the abdominal aorta was collected for pathological analysis. 2. Serum and organs were collected after 30 min in the oral administered group and after 60 min in the inhalation group and measured by GC-MS. 【Results】1. In the nicotine group, destruction of fibrous components of the aortic wall and mechanical stiffening of the vessels were observed with increase of MMPs. These degenerative changes were attenuated in the Nicotine+BCP group. 2. BCP was detected in serum and organs in both groups. Results of BCP transitional assessment, the BCP inhalation group showed significantly higher values than the BCP oral administration group in the olfactory bulb, brain, epididymal adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue.
