Pharmacological profile of dexketoprofen in orofacial pain

Abstract

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may act through others mechanisms, in addition to inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. These includes cholinergic, NO, serotonergic and opioids pathways.

Methods: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of systemic action of (S)-+-ketoprofen (dexketoprofen, DEX) on pain behaviors using the orofacial formalin test in mice and the potential involvement of cholinergic, NO, serotonergic and opioids pathways.

Results: The pretreatment of the mice with 1 mg/kg ip of atropine or opoid antagonists: 1 mg/kg, ip of NTX or 1 mg/kg ip of NTI or 1 mg/kg of NOR-BNI ip, did not produce significant change in the ED50 values of the antinociception to orofacial test induced by DEX. The pretreatment of the mice with 0.5 mg/kg ip tropisetron, increased in a significant fashion the values of ED50 of DEX. When the mice were treated with 5 mg/kg ip of L-NAME or 25 mg/kg ip of aminoguanidine or 50 mg/kg ip of 7-nitroindazole reversed the antinociception of DEX.

Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate activation of NO and 5-HTpathways play important roles in the systemic antinociceptive effect of DEX in a murine model of inflammatory pain