Menthol Inhalation Improves Cognitive Function in Mice with Dementia: Study

Inhalation of menthol improves cognition in mice with dementia

The irritating substance of mint can stimulate our cooling nerves and make us feel a strange spicy cool feeling, so it is often used as a refreshing medicine. A new study proves that its “refreshing” effect is also effective for Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s disease, AD, dementia). In experiments with mice, when mice with dementia inhaled menthol, their cognitive performance improved.

The researchers also noticed a decrease in interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), which helps regulate the body’s immune system, when mice with dementia were exposed to menthol, Science Alert reports. Inflammatory response, so that the immune system will not damage body tissues due to overstimulation.

The research team said that the mechanism is not yet clear, but the experiment shows that the specific smell can be used to treat dementia. If we can figure out which smells trigger which brain and immune system responses, we can use them to improve our health.

Juan José Lasarte, an immunologist at the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) in Spain, said: “We discovered the role of the olfactory system in immunity and the central nervous system, and also confirmed that menthol is an immunostimulatory odor in animal models. “

“What really surprised us was the effect of menthol, even for a short exposure (six months), in mice already suffering from dementia, which slowed the rate of cognitive decline; Rats were given menthol, and their cognitive abilities improved.”

After menthol treatment for dementia mice for 6 months, the cognitive ability and memory ability of the mice were prevented from deteriorating. At the same time, menthol also returned the IL-1β protein to the safe standard in the brain. That is, the abnormal inflammatory response in the mice subsided.

Ana Garcia-Osta, a neuroscientist at CIMA, said: “The use of menthol and regulatory T cells (T Treg) will reduce IL-1β, and IL-1β is a protein that is likely to be responsible for cognitive ability. reason for the decline.”

This conclusion is similar to the dementia hypothesis of previous years. A hypothesis believes that at least part of dementia is related to the disorder of the autoimmune system, and the body is in a long-term inflammatory response, which will cause damage to the nervous system.

In fact, diseases related to the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia, are also commonly associated with anosmia. The new study adds some promising data, but more experimental data need to be accumulated.

Article source: Mouse Study Reveals Unlikely Connection Between Menthol And Alzheimer’s

(Jiang Feiyu, China Times News Network)