Paeoniae radix has been widely used for its anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and demonstrated
to have anticonvulsant, memory enhancing and anxiolytic activities. The present study was performed to examine the
protective effect o...
Paeoniae radix has been widely used for its anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and demonstrated
to have anticonvulsant, memory enhancing and anxiolytic activities. The present study was performed to examine the
protective effect of methanol extract of Paeoniae radix (PR) from Paeonia Japonica Miyabe et Takeda (Paeoniaceae) on hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2)-induced neurotoxicity using cultured rat cerebral cortical neuron. H2O2 produced a concentration-dependent
reduction of neuronal viability. PR, over a concentration range of 10 to 100㎍/㎖ showed concentration-dependent
decrease of the H2O2 (100 μM)-induced neuronal cell death, as assessed by a 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-di-phenyl-tetrazolium
bromide assay and the number of apoptotic nuclei, evidenced by Hoechst 33342 staining. PR (100㎍/㎖) inhibited 100 μM
H2O2-induced elevation of the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c), which was measured by a fluorescent dye, fluo-4 AM. PR
(50㎍/㎖) inhibited glutamate release into medium induced by 100 μM H2O2, which was measured by HPLC, and generation
of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results suggest that PR may mitigate the H2O2-induced neurotoxiciy by interfering
with the increase of [Ca2+]c, and then inhibiting glutamate release and generation of ROS in cultured neurons.