People of all ages could suffer from sleep disorders, which are increasingly recognized as common manifestations of neurologic disease. Acorus tatarinowii is a herb that has been used in traditional medicine to promote sleep. β-asarone, as the main component of volatile oil obtained from Acorus tatarinowii, may be the main contributor to the sleeping-promoting efficacy of Acorus tatarinowii. In the study, adult male C57BL/6 mice were administered β-asarone at 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, and 50 mg/kg. Behavioral experiments showed that β-asarone at 25 mg/kg could significantly improve sleep duration. It was also observed that the proportion of NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep increased considerably after administration of β-asarone. In the PVN (paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus) region of the hypothalamus, it was observed that the glutamate content decreased after β-asarone treatment. At the same time, the expression of VGLUT2 (vesicular glutamate transporters 2) decreased while the expression of GAD65 (glutamic acid decarboxylase 65) and GABARAP (GABA Type A Receptor-Associated Protein) increased in the hypothalamus, suggesting that β-asarone may suppress arousal by reducing glutamate and promoting transformation of glutamate to the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid). This study is the first to focus on the association between β-asarone and sleep, shedding perspectives for pharmacological applications of β-asarone and providing a new direction for future research.
Keywords: Glutamic acid; Non-rapid eye movement sleep; Paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus; Sleep; Vesicular glutamate transporters 2; β-asarone.
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