Fragrant environment with α-pinene decreases tumor growth in mice

• Published in: Biomedical Research Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 57 - 61
• Main Authors: Kusuhara, Masatoshi, Urakami, Kenichi, Masuda, Yoko, Zangiacomi, Vincent, Ishii, Hidee, Tai, Sachiko, Maruyama, Koj, Yamaguchi, Ken
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Biomedical Research Press 01-02-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Proliferation; Disease Models, Animal; Environment; Melanoma - therapy; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Monoterpenes - pharmacology; Odorants - analysis; Perfume - chemistry
• ISSN: 0388-6107; 1880-313X
• DOI: 10.2220/biomedres.33.57

Stress is believed to be harmful to not only mental but also physical health. However, proving a link between stress and disease is difficult. A recent study reported that an environmental enrichment reduced cancer growth via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and leptin. Here, we report that mice kept in a fragrant environment enriched with α-pinene show reduced melanoma growth. Tumor volume of mice under the α-pinene environment was about 40% smaller than that in the control mice. α-Pinene had no inhibitory effect on melanoma cell proliferation in vitro, suggesting that this effect was not a direct effect of α-pinene. These results suggest that the provision of a fragrant environment may be an important factor in the therapeutic approach to cancer.