l-Menthol attenuates the magnitude of cold-induced vasodilation on the extremities of young females

Abstract

BackgroundMenthol chemically triggers cold-sensitive receptors in the skin without conductive skin cooling. We investigated the effects of menthol-induced activation of cutaneous cold receptors on the cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) of the finger. We hypothesized that the menthol application would attenuate typical CIVD responses.Methods1.5% l-menthol was fully applied over the left hand and forearm, and then, the middle finger of the left hand was immersed into 4 °C water for 30 min. A trial consisted of 10-min rest followed by 30-min immersion and 20-min recovery in 28 °C air temperature with 20% relative humidity. Another trial without the menthol application was carried out as a control. Seventeen females (24.2 ± 2.6 years in age, 160.5 ± 5.1 cm in height, and 51.2 ± 5.7 kg in body weight) participated in the two trials.ResultsThe results showed that the maximum and average temperatures of the finger during the water immersion were lower in the menthol application when compared to control (P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences appeared in the onset time of CIVD, the frequency of CIVD, and minimum finger temperature. These results imply that stronger stimulation of cold receptors without additional conductive skin cooling did not attenuate the triggering of CIVD responses but intensified vasoconstriction after the first occurrence of CIVD.ConclusionIt is suggested that substantial and conductive heat loss through the skin along with activation of cold receptors may be required to retain rewarming at a certain level.

Current Knowledge on the Vascular Effects of Menthol

“…Furthermore, whole-body application results in a slower decrease of rectal temperature comparing with cool water immersion, which was again attributed to peripheral vasoconstriction (Kounalakis et al, 2010) even though perfusion was not assessed. Similar results were found with the application of menthol on the trunk of mice (Tajino et al, 2019) and with the immersion of the upper extremities in cold water, in which menthol attenuated cold-induced restorative vasodilation (perfusion not assessed) (Kim and Lee, 2018). Taken together, these results suggest that application of menthol over a moderate/large skin surface initiates heat-conservation responses caused by cold perception.…”

“…In the majority of studies assessing provoked skin, menthol has been found to increase microcirculatory perfusion, either by topical application (Crandall et al, 2002;Wasner et al, 2004;Kobayashi et al, 2005;Topp et al, 2013;Craighead and Alexander, 2016;Kim and Lee, 2018) or intradermal microdialysis (Hong and Shellock, 1991;Guimarães and Moura, 2001). When topically applied, menthol passively diffuses through the epidermis and reaches the dermal microvascular networks.…”

Design of Spherical Crystallization for Drugs Based on Thermal-Induced Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation: Case Studies of Water-Insoluble Drugs

“…L-Menthol is widely used in the food industry, daily-use chemicals, and medicine fields. 18,19 It can inhibit oxidative stress and inflammation, reduce thermal sensation, and may even be used in cancer therapeutics by inducing apoptosis. 20−23 The crystal products of L-menthol on the market are either needle-shaped or rod-shaped.…”

miRNAs and Novel Food Compounds Related to the Browning Process

“…Despite the similarity in the menthol biosynthetic pathway of these two species, the compositional variations in the essential oil cannot be ignored, as M. arvensis essential oil constitutes the major trading essential oil for menthol in the world. Likewise, menthol is a chemical cooling agent naturally produced from mint oils or prepared synthetically [157]. Consequently, a cold sensation in mammals is detected by several cold-sensors; among them, the most preeminent one is the cold and menthol receptor, canonical transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8 (TRPM8) [158].…”