[A study of paeonol injection on immune functions in rats]

Paeonol is the main effective component of the traditional Chinese medicine, Paeonia suffroticosa. Paeonol has some therapeutic effects in resisting many species of bacteria and fungi. But the mechanism of such effects is still unclear. We used low dosage of paeonol injection (10-15 mg/kg) to observe its effect on the functions of the immune system of the Wistar's rats. The methods include peripheral blood ANAE+ lymphocytes (PBAL), leucocyte migrating inhibition factors (LMIF), specific rosette forming cells (SRFC) of spleen, and bacteria phagocytosis of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (BPP). The results showed that paeonol could enhance specific cellular immunity by raising the percentage of the PBAL (P < 0.01) and the release of LMIF (P < 0.01). Paeonol could also increase the BPP (P < 0.01). On the other hand, although it could increase the percentage of SRFC of the spleen, such an effect showed no significant difference (P > 0.1). These enhancing effects of the specific cellular immunity and the nonspecific phagocytosis functions of the immune system might be one of the mechanisms of the antibacterial effects of paeonol. The possible modulating activity of paeonol may develop a new applied field in clinical practice.