Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.

Some components of the neural circuits underlying innate odor-evoked responses have recently been elucidated. Odor information detected by the olfactory receptors is transmitted from the olfactory bulb to the cortical amygdala, where physiological and emotional states such as attraction or avoidance...

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Main Authors: Naoko Saito, Emi Yamano, Akira Ishii, Masaaki Tanaka, Junji Nakamura, Yasuyoshi Watanabe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5875884?pdf=render
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spelling doaj-bdd1a7b9bc884a048ee3fd47c3ff16142020-11-25T01:34:35ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01133e019526310.1371/journal.pone.0195263Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.Naoko SaitoEmi YamanoAkira IshiiMasaaki TanakaJunji NakamuraYasuyoshi WatanabeSome components of the neural circuits underlying innate odor-evoked responses have recently been elucidated. Odor information detected by the olfactory receptors is transmitted from the olfactory bulb to the cortical amygdala, where physiological and emotional states such as attraction or avoidance are controlled. Thus, activation of specific olfactory receptors can elicit changes in physiological and/or psychological state. Here, we examined on the odorant Hex-Hex Mix, which has been reported to induce anti-fatigue effects. Fatigue is a prevalent condition that is often related to overwork and psychological stress. Various anti-fatigue treatments have been developed, including supplements and odorants. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-fatigue effects of these substances are currently unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the involvement of the olfactory system in the mechanisms underlying this effect. We identified the human olfactory receptors activated by Hex-Hex Mix, and evaluated whether activation of these olfactory receptors by a newly developed odorant elicited a similar anti-fatigue effect to Hex-Hex Mix. We assessed anti-fatigue effects with behavioral tests, and 17 healthy males performed the 2-back test as a fatigue-inducing task with or without exposure to the new odorant. Immediately before and after the task, participants performed a cognitive task to evaluate their level of mental fatigue. We found that the difference value of the correct response rate on the cognitive task in the evaluation session was significantly different between in the odorant condition and in the without-odorant condition during the fatigue-inducing session suggesting that the new odorant may improve performance in the fatigue-inducing condition. The results indicated that the new odorant activates the same olfactory receptors as Hex-Hex Mix, which has been reported to induce anti-fatigue effects. Our findings suggest that the olfactory receptors in the olfactory system may be involved in the attenuation of fatigue.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5875884?pdf=render
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Naoko Saito
Emi Yamano
Akira Ishii
Masaaki Tanaka
Junji Nakamura
Yasuyoshi Watanabe
spellingShingle Naoko Saito
Emi Yamano
Akira Ishii
Masaaki Tanaka
Junji Nakamura
Yasuyoshi Watanabe
Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
PLoS ONE
author_facet Naoko Saito
Emi Yamano
Akira Ishii
Masaaki Tanaka
Junji Nakamura
Yasuyoshi Watanabe
author_sort Naoko Saito
title Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
title_short Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
title_full Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
title_fullStr Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
title_full_unstemmed Involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
title_sort involvement of the olfactory system in the induction of anti-fatigue effects by odorants.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS ONE
issn 1932-6203
publishDate 2018-01-01
description Some components of the neural circuits underlying innate odor-evoked responses have recently been elucidated. Odor information detected by the olfactory receptors is transmitted from the olfactory bulb to the cortical amygdala, where physiological and emotional states such as attraction or avoidance are controlled. Thus, activation of specific olfactory receptors can elicit changes in physiological and/or psychological state. Here, we examined on the odorant Hex-Hex Mix, which has been reported to induce anti-fatigue effects. Fatigue is a prevalent condition that is often related to overwork and psychological stress. Various anti-fatigue treatments have been developed, including supplements and odorants. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-fatigue effects of these substances are currently unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the involvement of the olfactory system in the mechanisms underlying this effect. We identified the human olfactory receptors activated by Hex-Hex Mix, and evaluated whether activation of these olfactory receptors by a newly developed odorant elicited a similar anti-fatigue effect to Hex-Hex Mix. We assessed anti-fatigue effects with behavioral tests, and 17 healthy males performed the 2-back test as a fatigue-inducing task with or without exposure to the new odorant. Immediately before and after the task, participants performed a cognitive task to evaluate their level of mental fatigue. We found that the difference value of the correct response rate on the cognitive task in the evaluation session was significantly different between in the odorant condition and in the without-odorant condition during the fatigue-inducing session suggesting that the new odorant may improve performance in the fatigue-inducing condition. The results indicated that the new odorant activates the same olfactory receptors as Hex-Hex Mix, which has been reported to induce anti-fatigue effects. Our findings suggest that the olfactory receptors in the olfactory system may be involved in the attenuation of fatigue.
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5875884?pdf=render
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