Abstract
Recent clinical data support the clinical use of oral lavender oil in patients suffering from subsyndromal anxiety. We identified the molecular mechanism of action that will alter the perception of lavender oil as a nonspecific ingredient of aromatherapy to a potent anxiolytic inhibiting voltage dependent calcium channels (VOCCs) as highly selective drug target. In contrast to previous publications where exorbitant high concentrations were used, the effects of lavender oil in behavioral, biochemical, and electrophysiological experiments were investigated in physiological concentrations in the nanomolar range, which correlate to a single dosage of 80 mg/d in humans that was used in clinical trials. We show for the first time that lavender oil bears some similarities with the established anxiolytic pregabalin. Lavender oil inhibits VOCCs in synaptosomes, primary hippocampal neurons and stably overexpressing cell lines in the same range such as pregabalin. Interestingly, Silexan does not primarily bind to P/Q type calcium channels such as pregabalin and does not interact with the binding site of pregabalin, the α2δ subunit of VOCCs. Lavender oil reduces non-selectively the calcium influx through several different types of VOCCs such as the N-type, P/Q-type and T-type VOCCs. In the hippocampus, one brain region important for anxiety disorders, we show that inhibition by lavender oil is mainly mediated via N-type and P/Q-type VOCCs. Taken together, we provide a pharmacological and molecular rationale for the clinical use of the oral application of lavender oil in patients suffering from anxiety.
Highlights
Lavender oil (LA) is an important part of our today’s aromatherapy to promote ‘‘well-being’’ and to reduce distress and ‘‘ill-being’’. ‘‘Well-being’’ is a psychological construct comprising several domains related to personality including selfacceptance and purpose in life among others [1]
None of these studies dealt with anxiolytic effects of oral administered LA in dosages which are in accordance with the dosage of 80 mg/d used in humans
We tested the anxiolytic activity of Silexan in the elevated plus maze test, a well established anxiety model
Summary
Lavender oil (LA) is an important part of our today’s aromatherapy to promote ‘‘well-being’’ and to reduce distress and ‘‘ill-being’’. ‘‘Well-being’’ is a psychological construct comprising several domains related to personality including selfacceptance and purpose in life among others [1]. When applied by inhalation LA has been associated with feelings of pleasantness and with some improving effects on mood and anxiety [3,4]. I) Anxiolytic properties have been demonstrated for LA in experimental animals following inhalation of very high concentrations and after i.p. or oral administration [5,6,7,8]. III) Recent clinical trials using Silexan, a standardized LA oil preparation, showed pronounced effects in patients with subsyndromal or subthreshold anxiety disorders as well as in patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) after oral administration. Silexan (active substance of LaseaH, available as immediate release soft gelatine capules containing 80 mg) has been licensed in Germany for the oral treatment of subsyndromal anxiety and tension in 2009
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