麻酔ラットにおけるラベンダー匂い刺激の自律神経活動への効果

抄録

It has been reported in field of aromatherapy that fragrance of lavender reveals a sedative effect.This study deals with effects of olfactory stimulation with fragrance of lavender oil on autonomic nerve activity in anesthetized rats. Under urethane anesthesia, fragrance stimulation with lavender oil was given for 10 min. As the control, vapor of distilled water was applied for 10 min. The efferent nerve activity was recorded from sympathetic branch of WAT of epididymis, BAT, adrenal medulla, spleen and muscular sympathetics in the gastrocnemic region. Nerve activity was also recorded from gastric, thymic, pancreatic and celiac branch of vagus nerve. Results: The fragrance of lavenderfacilitated activities of vagal branches as well as muscular sympathetics, and inhibited sympathetic nerve activities in WAT, BAT, adrenal medulla and spleen. Stimulation of water vapor was without effect. These observations suggest that fragrance of lavender activates gastrointestinal function, increase in blood stream in muscular region, assilative body function and may improve immune function through activation of vagus nerve activity to thymus and suppression of sympathetic nerve activity to spleen. [Jpn J Physiol 54 Suppl:S197 (2004)]