Antidepressant-like Effect of Paeonol

Abstract

The current study investigated the putative antidepressant-like effect of paeonol, a phenolic component from the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. (Ranunculaceae), in mice or rats using the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), two widely accepted pharmacological models for detecting antidepressant activity in modern medicinal researchers. It was found that paeonol, at doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg=kg (p.o.), reduced immobility time in TST and FST in mice. Paeonol also decreased immobility time at 25 and 50 mg=kg (p.o.) in the FST in rats. Furthermore, paeonol as well as fluoxetine (FLU), at the doses tested, did not produce significant effects on locomotor activity. With 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, 5, 10, and 20 mM paeonol or a classical antidepressant, 10 mM FLU, protected PC12 cells from the lesion induced by 10 mM corticosterone (Cort) treatment for 48 h. In the fura-2=AM (acetoxymethyl ester) labeling assay, 10 and 20 mM paeonol, 10 mM FLU attenuated the intracellular Ca 2 þ overloading induced by 200 mM Cort treatment for 48 h in PC12 cells. In summary, we first demonstrated that paeonol possessed an antidepressant-like action through the protection of PC12 cells as well as reversal intracellular Ca 2 þ overloading.

Protective mechanism of Paeonol on central nervous system

“…Different doses of Pae can reduce the resting time of depressed mice and rats through prevention and treatment, and the effect is equivalent to fluoxetine. It can significantly protect PC12 cells from corticosterone-induced injury by mediating Ca 2+ transport in vitro (Table 2) (Zhu et al, 2006).…”

Bacopaside-I ameliorates motor dysfunction and neurodegeneration in rat model of Parkinson’s disease

“…5. Group-V: Received BS-I (dose 45 mg/kg body weight) treatment with oral gavage in addition of Rot injection for four weeks (Zu, Zhang et al 2017).…”

Anti-depressant-like effect of peony: a mini-review

“…Among the secondary metabolites of peony, paeonol has been reported to be active in both tail suspension and forced swimming tests (Zhu et al, 2006). The compound was further demonstrated to be able to protect PC12 cells from lesions induced by corticosterone (Zhu et al, 2006), and the protective activity may be related to its antioxidation property (Zhong et al, 2009a).…”

“…The compound was further demonstrated to be able to protect PC12 cells from lesions induced by corticosterone (Zhu et al, 2006), and the protective activity may be related to its antioxidation property (Zhong et al, 2009a). On the other hand, paeoniflorin has also been shown to possess neuroprotective property against N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced toxicity (Mao et al, 2011b) and MPP-induced toxicity (Cao et al, 2010) in PC12 cells, as well as Abeta-mediated neurotoxicity in rats (Zhong et al, 2009b).…”