title: Effect of paeoniflorin on the calcium ion concentration in salivary gland cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of paeoniflorin, the main monomer component of Jinxueyuan granules, on the Ca2+concentrations in salivary gland cells to further explore the salivation-promoting mechanism and effective monomer components of Jinxueyuan granules.
  
  
  METHODS
  The salivary gland cells of suckling rats were cultured in vitro and loaded with a Fluo-3AM fluorescent probe, and changes in the intracellular Ca2+concentrations were observed using a confocal laser scanning microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant changes in the intracellular Ca2+concentrations were demonstrated (P>0.05) in the paeoniflorin-free Hank's media treatment group or in the higher-dose paeoniflorin (10-2mol/L) Hank's media treatment group; however, a significant increase in the intracellular Ca2+concentration in the lower-dose paeoniflorin (10-4mol/L) treatment group was observed (P=0.001). Further study showed that treatment with the calcium channel blocker verapamil hydrochloride or with Ca2+-free D-Hank's media did not block the paeoniflorin-induced (10-4mol/L) increase in intracellular Ca2+(P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paeoniflorin promotes the release of endogenous calcium to upregulate the intracellular Ca2+concentration. Further studies should be performed to investigate the association between paeoniflorin and the Ca2+concentration in salivary gland cells and to elucidate the corresponding functional pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatism, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Hongyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Paeoniflorin; Sjögren’s syndrome (SS); calcium ion; confocal laser scanning microscope; salivary gland cell