Swimming Capacity of Mice Is Increased by Oral Administration of a Nonpungent Capsaicin Analog, Stearoyl Vanillylamide

Manuscript received 11 March 1998. Initial reviews completed 5 May 1998. Revision accepted 10 August 1998.

Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

Intravenous injection of stearoyl vanillylamide (C₁₈-VA), a nonpungent capsaicin (CAP) analog, enhances adrenaline secretion significantly and as effectively as CAP in rats. Because swimming capacity was enhanced by CAP in mice due to CAP-induced adrenal catecholamine secretion, we investigated the effects of oral administration of C₁₈-VA on swimming capacity using an adjustable-current water pool. Male Std ddY 6-wk-old mice were fed a commercial diet for this study and one group was orally administered C₁₈-VA via a stomach tube. Treated mice were able to swim longer before exhaustion than the control mice (62.9 ± 5.6 vs. 49.6 ± 7.0 min, P < 0.05). The swimming capacity of two groups administered C₁₈-VA (0.02 and 0.033 mmol/kg) was significantly greater than that of those administered vehicle alone, (P < 0.05). Substance P concentration in cerebrospinal fluid, which is involved in pain transmission and is the first direct measure of pungency, was not affected by C₁₈-VA administration. In an experiment examining the effects of C₁₈-VA on serum adrenaline concentration, adrenaline was significantly greater in C₁₈-VA treated mice than in controls at 2-h post-dose (C₁₈-VA group, 26.09 ± 2.82; control group 13.29 ± 0.96 µg/L, P < 0.01). In a separate study free fatty acids in serum were elevated in treated mice at 2-h post-dose (P < 0.01). While serum glucose concentration was not affected. These results suggest that C₁₈-VA increased swimming capacity of mice via adrenaline release, independent of pungency. In addition, the present study suggests the usefulness of its application to humans.

The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 128 No. 11 November 1998, pp. 1978-1983
Copyright ©1998 by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences

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