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 µM paeonol or a classical antidepressant, 10 µM FLU, protected PC12 cells from the lesion induced by 10 µM corticosterone (Cort) treatment for 48 h. In the fura-2/AM (acetoxymethyl ester) labeling assay, 10 and 20 µM paeonol, 10 µM FLU attenuated the intracellular Ca²⁺ overloading induced by 200 µM 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 Ca²⁺ overloading.

Keywords:

• Antidepressant effect
• Ca²⁺
• paeonol
• PC12 cells