Paeoniflorin attenuates hippocampal damage in a rat model of vascular dementia

Paeoniflorn (PF), the principal bioactive component of Paeoniae radix prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine, possesses a wide range of biological effects and exhibits neuroprotective effects in numerous diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that PF significantly attenuates memory impairment in rats with vascular dementia (VD). In the present study, a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) rat model was used to explore the underlying mechanisms of PF. The expression levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S100β, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein, cytochrome c and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus were measured by western blot analysis. The results showed that administration of PF for 28 days significantly decreased the expression levels of NSE and S100β, both sensitive markers for brain damage, in vascular dementia (VD) model rats. In addition, PF inhibited the initiation of apoptotic cell death and attenuated the decreased expression levels of BDNF induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. These data confirm the neuroprotective effects of PF on VD and provide a novel insight into the long-term use of PF as a potential treatment in the stages of early cognitive impairment in VD.