CAO Rui, ZHAO Lin, SU Le, SUN Xin, ZHENG Kai, ZHANG Song
Anxiety disorder is a psychiatric condition characterized by excessive fear and anxiety as its core features,often accompanied by behavioral abnormalities.Severe anxiety and depression can trigger suicidal attempts or behaviors,which has attracted extensive public attention.As a safe and effective complementary therapy,aromatherapy demonstrates clear potential in alleviating mild to moderate anxiety.To investigate the role of aromatherapy in emotional regulation,this study examined the effects and underlying mechanisms of vetiver volatile extracts on anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in mice.Twenty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to four groups (n=7 per group):control group,model group,vetiver volatile extract group,and positive control group (fluoxetine hydrochloride,3 mg/kg).An anxiety mouse model was established using CUMS.After 18 days of modeling,mice in the vetiver volatile extract group were exposed to vetiver volatile extracts for 14 days before the experiment concluded.Behavioral changes were evaluated using the sucrose preference test,open field test,and forced swimming test.Hippocampal levels of tryptophan (TRP) and serotonin (5-HT),as well as serum concentrations of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β,were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The results revealed that in behavioral tests,compared with the model group,both the vetiver volatile extract group and the positive control group showed significantly increased sucrose preference rates,greater distance traveled and time spent in the central area,and a notable rise in vertical rearing episodes.Regarding physiological indicators,the vetiver volatile extract group reduced serum levels of IL-6,IL-1β and TNF-α in model mice and upregulated the mass concentration of TRP and 5-HT in the hippocampus.In summary,vetiver volatile extracts effectively alleviated anxiety-like behaviors in mice by modulating neurotransmitter balance and inhibiting inflammatory responses.
