Neuroprotective effect of paeonol on cognition deficits of diabetic encephalopathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat
Authors: Shuyuan Wang
Jiping Liu
Liang Feng
Shiping Ma
Yu Song
Zhou Lan
Junfei Gu
Dongying Ma
Minghua Zhang
Qiang Fu
Rong Qu
Journal: Neuroscience Letters (2013)
Discipline: NEUROSCIENCE & BEHAVIOR
Keywords: AChE; Anti-apoptosis; Aβ; BDNF; ChAT
Affiliations: Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, PR China.

Abstract:  Diabetic encephalopathy (DE) has been characterized by the impaired cognition and the abnormalities of neurochemistry and neurostructure. The study was conducted to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of paeonol on STZ-induced DE rats. Paeonol of 25, 50, 100mg/kg (p.o.) could decrease the latency time and path length, and enhance significantly the spent time in the target quadrant and platform crossings in Morris water maze test. The treatment with paeonol could also increase significantly Na(+)-K(+)-ATP enzyme and ChAT activities, as well as decreasing significantly AchE activity in hippocampal tissue. Immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining showed that paeonol could attenuate apoptosis of neurons and caspase 3 expression, improve two neurotrophic factors BDNF and IGF expressions, and also ameliorate Aβ deposition in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated diabetic rats treated with paeonol could ameliorate the cognition deficits. These findings indicated paeonol might act as a beneficial agent for the prevention and treatment of DE. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Fig 2.  Effect of paeonol on the apoptosis and caspase-3 expression in the hippocampus and 12 cerebral cortex in DE rats. (A) apoptosis by Tunel staining; (B) caspase-3 expression . ![file] Fig 3 from [Liu et al (2013b)]https: pubpeer.com publications 510FB3DA885E3B00C7C44B7796E0D1)  Effect of LWDHD on the TUNEL apoptosis staining (A) and caspase-3 expression (B) in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex in DE rats . ![file] Panels in blue rectangles are labeled consistently across the two papers. Red boxes: Donepezil or Paeonil? , 
 *[below]* Fig 1B.  Effect of paeonol on STZ-induced memory impairment and Au03b2 deposition in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex in rats. ... (B) Au03b2 deposition. *[above]* Fig. 5 from [Liu et al (2013b)] .  Effect of LWDHD on Au03b2 deposition in the hippocampus (A) and cerebral cortex (B) in DE rats by Congo red staining . ![] Panels in blue rectangles are labeled consistently between papers. Green rectangles: Donepezil or paeonol? , 
 #1 #2 #2 Dear Dr. Hoya Camphorifolia, Thank you for raising this concern, which we have very carefully checked and discussed. As we all know, Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement are referred to as 3R in laboratory animals. Specifically,  Reduction  is to reduce the number of animals used in the experiment as much as possible, to improve the utilization of experimental animals and the accuracy of the experiment. The research objects of these two papers are compound Liuwei Dihuang Decoction and its main ingredient paeonol. Taking into account the principle of  3R in experimental animals, in order to minimize the use of experimental animals, and to explore and compare the role of paeonol in this compound. Liuwei Dihuang Decoction and its main ingredient paeonol were investigated simultaneously in the animal experiments. Therefore, the normal group, the model group and positive control groups (donepezil and rosiglitazone) were used together in these two papers, respectively. The result is objective rather than deliberate use of repeated pictures. Therefore, the panels in blue rectangles are labeled consistently between Fig 1B and Fig. 5 in these two papers. As for green rectangles in Fig 1B and Fig. 5, we regret that two of the images (Fig 5., Cerebral cortex, panel 6 and Fig1B, Cerebral cortex (Au03b2), panel 5) were misincorporated during figure assembly when we were preparing for manuscript submission. After revisiting all the raw data of these experiments, we could show the original images for those images presented in Fig 1B and Fig. 5. We also regret that we didn t catch this error during subsequent revisions and examinations when the manuscript underwent the review and publication processes. We are preparing a correction request which we will submit to the two journals as soon as possible. We apologize to our readers for any confusion caused by this unintentional error. Thank you for your attentions. Yours, Jiping Liu , 
 Liu et al (2013b) was retracted on [12 March 2022] .  This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. The authors have plagiarized duplicated part of a paper that appeared in Neurosci Lett, 549 (2013) 63u201368, . Several images in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology paper; 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B correspond to figures; 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B respectively as published in Neuroscience Letters. One of the conditions of submission of a paper for publication is that authors declare explicitly that their work is original and has not appeared in a publication elsewhere. Re-use of any data should be appropriately cited. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process. ,