Pharmacological profile of dexketoprofen in orofacial pain.

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