• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2015

Paeonol is a major component found in the Paeoniaceae family such as Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews. Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews has traditionally been used to enhance blood flow and relieve joint pain in east Asian countries including China, Korea and Japan. Current research has shown that paeonol blocked the voltage-gated sodium channel and L-type calcium channel. However, there is a lack of research to reveal the relation between cardiac function and blockade of ion channels by paeonol. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether paeonol has anti-arrhythmic effects via modulating cardiac ion channels. It is collected that the effects of paeonol on multiple ion channels such as the fast sodium channel and L-type calcium channel from published papers. To incorporate the information on multi-channel block, we computed the effects using the mathematical cardiac model of the guinea-pig and rat ventricular cells (Noble 1998 and 1991 model) and induced early after-depolarizations (EADs) to generate an arrhythmia in the whole heart. Paeonol slightly shortened the action potential duration in the normal cardiac ventricular action potential by the inhibition of sodium channel and L-type calcium channel. Paeonol presented the protective effect from EADs by the inactivation of sodium channel but not L-type calcium channel. Paeonol did not show any changes when it treated on normal ventricular cells through the inhibition of sodium channel, but the protective effect of paeonol through sodium channel on EADs was dose-dependent. These findings suggest that paeonol and its original plant may possess anti-arrhythmic activity, which implies their cardioprotective effects.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.290-301
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• 2019

Paeonol has neuroprotective function, which could be useful for improving central nervous system disorder. The purpose of this study was to characterize the functional mechanism involved in brain transport of paeonol through blood-brain barrier (BBB). Brain transport of paeonol was characterized by internal carotid artery perfusion (ICAP), carotid artery single injection technique (brain uptake index, BUI) and intravenous (IV) injection technique in vivo. The transport mechanism of paeonol was examined using conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell line (TR-BBB) as an in vitro model of BBB. Brain volume of distribution (VD) of [$^3H$]paeonol in rat brain was about 6-fold higher than that of [$^{14}C$]sucrose, the vascular space marker of BBB. The uptake of [$^3H$]paeonol was concentration-dependent. Brain volume of distribution of paeonol and BUI as in vivo and inhibition of analog as in vitro studies presented significant reduction effect in the presence of unlabeled lipophilic compounds such as paeonol, imperatorin, diphenhydramine, pyrilamine, tramadol and ALC during the uptake of [$^3H$]paeonol. In addition, the uptake significantly decreased and increased at the acidic and alkaline pH in both extracellular and intracellular study, respectively. In the presence of metabolic inhibitor, the uptake reduced significantly but not affected by sodium free or membrane potential disruption. Similarly, paeonol uptake was not affected on OCTN2 or rPMAT siRNA transfection BBB cells. Interestingly. Paeonol is actively transported from the blood to brain across the BBB by a carrier mediated transporter system.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.904-910
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• 2006

The inhibitory effects of paeonol, a major compound of Paeoniae radix, on the development of locomotor sensitization, conditioned place preference (CPP) and dopamine receptor supersensitivity induced by the repeated administration of morphine were investigated through behavioral experiments. A single administration of morphine produces hyperlocomotion. Repeated administration of morphine develops sensitization (reverse tolerance), a progressive enhancement of locomotion, which is used as a model for studying the drug-induced drug-seeking behaviors, and CPP, which is used as a model for studying drug reinforcement. Paeonol inhibited morphine-induced hyperlocomotion, sensitization and CPP. In addition, paeonol inhibited the development of postsynaptic dopamine receptors supersensitivity, which may be an underlying common mechanism that mediates the morphine-induced dopaminergic behaviors such as sensitization and CPP. Apomorphine (a dopamine agonist)-induced climbing behaviors also were inhibited by a single direct administration of paeonol. These results provide evidence that paeonol exerts anti-dopaminergic activity, and it is suggested that paeonol may be useful for the prevention and therapy of these adverse actions of morphine.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.2 s.141
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• pp.116-120
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• 2005

Paeonol (2-hydroxy-5-methoxyacetophenone) obtained by silica gel column chromatography of the essential oil extracted from Paeonia moutan (Paeoniaceae) was methylated by dimethylsulfate to yield methylpaeonol (2,5-di-O-methylacetophenone). Both compounds inhibited nitric oxide (NO) foundation in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in nitrite assay. In the western blotting assay, it was shown that both compounds also decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) formation. Methylpaeonol produced more potently inhibited NO-, iNOS and COX-2 formation in the assays than paeonol. These results suggest that paeonol is in part responsible for anti-inflammatory activity of Paeonia moutan, and that synthesis of paeonol derivatives may produce a promising candidate for andtiifnalmmatory agent.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2005

We analyzed six cultivars of Chinese Moutan, Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, using HPLC for the investigation of appropriate root harvesting time and distributions of paeonol and paeoniflorin according to the seasonal changes. The contents of paeonol remained nearly constant at different harvesting times. However, the paeoniflorin contents have changed significantly during the harvesting time. These showed the increasing tendency in May, July and September. We compared the distribution of two compounds between two cultivars with different flower forms, Dan Feng and Wu Long Feng Sheng. The contents of paeonol were very low in the leaf and annual shoot. This tendency was not changed during five harvesting times. But the paeoniflorin existed abundantly in the leaf and root. The contents of paeoniflorin in the leaf were highest in May, and gradually decreased.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 1998

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of fertilizers on yield and paeonol content of Paeonia moutan Sims according to cultivation years. Tested variety was a local cultivar and fertilizer treatments used were compost (3, 000kg/10a), N-P-K (10-10-10kg/10a) fertilizer, fowl dropping manure (100kg/10a), organic fertilizer (200kg/10a) and non-fertilizer. Root yield increased by 12% in N-P-K fertilizer, 18% in compost, 22% in fowl dropping manure and 26% in organic fertilizer treatment compared with non-fertilizer. Increment rate of root yield according to cultivation years from 3 to 6 year cultivation was highest in 5 year cultivation. Paeonol content was highest of 3.08% at October harvest and 3.63% in the fowl dropping manure treatment. Paeonol content was higher at longer cultivation year, but increment rate of paeonol content per year was low from 3 year cultivation. Partial paeonol content of root increased in the order of lower part (3.07%), middle part (2.77%), and upper part (2.38%).

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.174-177
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• 2003

The present experiment was performed to investigate the protective effects of paeonol isolated from Moutan Cortex Radicis on primary cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to Br-A23187 ($Ca^{2+}$ ionophore). Br-A23187 is frequently used as a model of cell killing as inducing both necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Hepatocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion from livers of fasted male Sprague Dawley rats and cultured overnight. Cell viability was determined by propidium iodide using fluorocytometry in Krebs-Ringer-HEPES buffer at pH 7.4. In addition, intracellular calcium was measured by excitation at 340 and 380 nm and emission at 505 nm using a luminescence spectrophotometer. Paeonol (20-100 ${\mu}M$) inhibited cell killing induced by 10 ${\mu}M$ Br-A23187, in a dose-dependent manner. Paeonol also reduced increased intracellular calcium level when hepatocytes were exposed to Br-A23187. Therefore, the present results suggest that paeonol protects the hepatocytotoxicity induced by Br-A23187, via inhibiting the influx of calcium into into rat hepatocytes.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.341-346
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• 2014

Paeonol is a major phenolic micromolecular component of Moutan cortex Radicis, a traditional Chinese Medicine. It has shown antitumor effects in previous studies; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study investigated the mechanism by giving treatments of placebo, cyclophosphamide, paeonol of 150 and 300 mg/kg to 4 groups of mice bearing EMT6 breast cancer. Apoptosis in tumor cells were confirmed by morphology analysis, including hematoxylin, eosin staining and TUNEL staining. The results showed that the weight of EMT6 breast tumor was significantly reduced in the groups treated with both 150 and 300 mg/kg of paeonol. Immunohistochemical and Western blot results showed that the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated while the expression of Bax, caspase 8 and caspase 3 was up-regulated respectively. These results suggest that paeonol exhibits antitumor effects and the mechanism of the inhibition is via induction of apoptosis, regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression, and activation of caspase 8 and caspase 3.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2016

Epidermis is continuously regenerated by keratinocyte stem cells (KSCs) residing in basement membrane, which is critical to the survival of an organism. KSCs are believed to persist during the whole lifetime and generate an enormous number of keratinocytes, required for the maintenance of epidermis, through transit amplifying cells dividing definite times until they become differentiated. In this report, we have developed a phenolic compound, paeonol, purified from Moutan Cortex, as a KSC proliferation activator, by screening about 350 herbal compounds. The cell proliferation activation by paeonol is specific for KSC not for keratinocyte, and no significant difference in the expression of p63 protein, a KSC marker, in KSCs treated with paeonol was observed in FACS analysis with anti-p63 antibody. In the colony forming assay, paeonol-treated KSC showed improved colony forming activity more than 1.3 fold. In addition, the result of PCR array shows that the activity of paeonol is through several signal pathways involving stem cell functions. These results suggest that paeonol could enhance KSC proliferation activity without reduction in stemness and could be applied to cosmetics as a KSC activating ingredient.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.167-170
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• 2004

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Moutan Cortex Radicis extracts and paeonol, a major component, on rabbit platelet aggregation and thromboxane (TX) $A_2$ formation. Moutan Cortex Radicis methanol and butanol layers (100 ${\mu}g/mL$) showed the weak inhibitions, and water layer (100 ${\mu}g/mL$) had no effect on the collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Whereas, hexane and EtOAc layers potently inhibited the collagen (3 ${\mu}g/mL$)-induced platelet aggregation with the $IC_{50}$ values of 10.9${\pm}$1.0 and 31.5${\pm}$0.8 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Paeonol isolated from the hexane-acetone layer specifically inhibited the collagen-induced platelet aggregation with the $IC_{50}$ value of 113.1 ${\pm}$ 0.9 ${\mu}M$, whereas it had little effects on the other agonists such as AA-, thrombin-, A23187- and thapsigargin-induced platelet aggregations. Paeonol also potently inhibited the collagen-induced TXB formation in rabbit platelet in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that paeonol may inhibit rabbit platelet aggregation by interfering with an essential step in collagen-induced platelet activation and $TXA_2$ formation. Paeonol may be a promising candidate for an antiplatelet agent.