抄録
We investigated whether green odor inhalation prevents the chronic restraint stress-induced disruption of the skin barrier in rats. Daily 8-h restraint stress for 14 days resulted in an increase in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), an index of the barrier disruption (vehicle+stress group). This effect was prevented by green odor inhalation for 2-h at the beginning of the restraint everyday for 14 days (green odor+stress group). Furthermore, electron microscopic studies revealed that the green odor+stress group has enough inter-corneocyte lipids for an effective skin barrier, that was lost in the vehicle+stress group. On the other hand, daily administration of a glucocorticoiod, dexamethasone (DEX), for 14 days led to an increase in TEWL. Since the green odor reportedly inhibits the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, the present results suggest that chronic stress-induced disruption of the skin barrier is prevented by green odor, through its inhibitory effect on the HPA axis in rats. [J Physiol Sci. 2007;57 Suppl:S185]
