Paeoniae Radix has been used as a traditional medicine for various diseases including hepatic disease. However, the inhibitory effect of Paeoniae Radix on intestinal inflammation has not been fully understood yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Paeoniae Radix on colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium in mice. To investigate the protective effects of Paeoniae Radix, the colitis mice were induced by drinking water containing 5% dextran sulfate sodium for 7 days. Mice were randomized into groups receiving Paeoniae Radix (100 ㎎/㎏), sulfasalazine (150 ㎎/㎏) as a positive control, or water as a negative control. We evaluated the effects of Paeoniae Radix on clinical signs induced by dextran sulfate sodium, measuring weight loss, colon length, and disease activity index. Additionally, to find a possible explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects of Paeoniae Radix, we evaluated the effects of Paeoniae Radix on the interleukin-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 levels in colitis tissue. The results indicated that mice treated with dextran sulfate sodium showed measurable clinical signs, including weight loss and reduced colon length. However, Paeoniae Radix treatment significantly improved the weight loss and disease activity index as clinical symptoms. Moreover, Paeoniae Radix inhibited the interleukin-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 expression levels in colon tissues treated with dextran sulfate sodium. Taken together, the findings of this study suggest that Paeoniae Radix may be useful for treating intestinal inflammation, including ulcerative colitis.

Abstract
 서 언
 재료 및 방법
  실험동물 및 시약
  약재준비
  대장염 유도
  질병활성화정도(Disease activity index; DAI) 측정
  Enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay
  Western blot analysis
  통계분석
 결 과
  DSS로 유도된 대장염 모델에서 체중감소에 대한 작약의 조절효과
  DSS로 유도된 대장염 모델에서 대장 길이에 대한 작약의 조절효과
  DSS로 유도된 대장염 모델에서 질병활성도(Disease activityindex; DAI)증가에 대한 작약의 조절효과
  대장 조직에서 염증매개 인자의 발현에 대한 작약의 조절 효과
 고 찰
 적 요
 References

• 명노일(원광디지털대학교 한방건강학과) | Noh Yil Myung (Department of Oriental Medicine and Healthcare, Wonkwang Digital University) 교신저자