Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Synergism between COX-3 inhibitors in two animal models of pain

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Inflammopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective and design

The antinociception induced by the intraperitoneal coadministration in mice of combinations of metamizol and paracetamol was evaluated in the tail flick test and orofacial formalin test.

Methods

The antinociception of each drugs alone and the interaction of the combinations was evaluated by isobolographic analysis in the tail-flick and in the formalin orofacial assay of mice.

Results

Mice pretreated with the drugs demonstrated that the antinociception of metamizol and paracetamol is dose-dependent. The potency range on the antinocifensive responses for metamizol or paracetamol was as follows: orofacial (Phase II) > orofacial (Phase I) > tail flick. In addition, the coadministration of metamizol with paracetamol induced a strong synergistic antinociception in the algesiometer assays. Both drugs showed effectiveness in inflammatory pain.

Conclusion

These actions can be related to the differential selectivity of the drugs for inhibition of COX isoforms and also to the several additional antinociception mechanisms and pathways initiated by the analgesic drugs on pain transmission. Since the efficacy of the combination of metamizol with paracetamol has been demonstrated in the present study, this association could have a potential beneficial effect on the pharmacological treatment of clinical pain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbadie C, Besson JM (1994) Chronic treatments with aspirin or acetaminophen reduce both the development of polyarthritis and Fos-like immunoreactivity in rat lumbar spinal cord. Pain 57:45–54

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ayoub SS, Colville-Nash PR, Willoughby DA, Botting RM (2006) The involvement of a cyclooxygenase 1 gene-derived protein in the antinociceptive action of paracetamol in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 538:57–65

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barrera NP, Morales B, Torres S, Villalón M (2005) Principles: mechanisms and modeling of synergism in cellular responses. Trends Pharmacol Sci 26:526–532

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beirith A, Santos AR, Rodrígues AL et al (1998) Spinal and supraspinal antinociceptive action of metamizol in formalin, capsaicin and glutamate tests. Study of mechanism of action. Eur J Pharmacol 345:233–245

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bertolini A, Ferrari A, Ottani A et al (2006) Paracetamol: new vistas of an old drug. CNS Drug Rev 12:250–275

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Botting R (2003) COX-1 and COX-3 inhibitors. Thrombosis Res 110:269–272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boutaud O, Aronoff DM, Richardson JH, Marnett LJ, Oates JA (2002) Determinants of the cellular specificity of acetaminophen as an inhibitor of prostaglandin H2 synthases. PNAS 99:7130–7135

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chandrasekharan NV, Dai H, Roos LT et al (2002) COX-3, a cyclooxygenase-1 variant inhibited by acetaminophen and other analgesic/antipyretic drugs: cloning, structure and expression. Proc Nat Acad Sci 99:13926–13931

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chou TC (2006) Theoretical basis, experimental design, and computerized simulation of synergism and antagonism in drug combination studies. Pharmacol Rev 58:621–681

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gelgor L, Cartmell S, Mitchell D (1992) Intracerebroventricular micro-injections of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs abolish reperfusion hyperalgesia in the rat’s tail. Pain 50:323–329

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Godfrey L, Bailey I, Toms NJ et al (2007) Paracetamol inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in murine spinal cord slices. Eur J Pharmacol 562:68–71

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández N, Vanegas H (2001) Antinociception induced by PAG-microinjected metamizol (metamizol) in rats: involvement of spinal endogenous opioids. Brain Res 896:175–178

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hinz B, Cheremina O, Bachmakov J et al (2007a) Metamizol elicits substantial inhibition of peripheral cyclooxygenases in humans: new insights into the pharmacology of an old analgesic. FASEB J 21:2343–2351

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hinz B, Cheremina O, Bachmakov J et al (2007b) Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor in man. FASEB J 22:383–390

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolesnikov YA, Wilson RS, Pasternak GW (2003) Synergistic analgesic interactions between hydrocodone and ibuprofen. Anesth Analg 97:1721–1723

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lokken P, Skjelbred P (1980) Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of paracetamol evaluated by bilateral oral surgery. Br J Clin Pharmacol 10(Suppl 2):253–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzetti BB, Ferreira SH (1985) Mode of analgesic action of metamizol: direct antagonism of inflammatory hyperalgesia. Eur J Pharmacol 114:375–381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luccarini P, Childeric A, Gayder AM et al (2006) The orofacial formalin test in the mouse: a behavioral model for studying physiology and modulation of trigeminal nociception. Pain 7:908–914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda HF, Puig MM, Prieto JC, Pinardi G (2006) Synergism between paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in experimental acute pain. Pain 121:22–28

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miranda HF, Puig MM, Dursteler C, Prieto JC, Pinardi G (2007) Dexketoprofen-induced antinociception in animal models of acute pain: synergy with morphine and paracetamol. Neuropharmacology 52:291–296

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ortiz MI, Castañeda-Hernández G, Granados-Soto V (2003) Possible involvement of potassium channels in peripheral antinociception induced by metamizol: lack of participation of ATP-sensitive K+ channels. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 74:465–470

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pierre SC, Schmidt R, Brenneis C, Michaelis M, Geisslinger G, Scholich K (2007) Inhibition of cyclooxygenases dy dipirone. Br J Pharmacol 151:494–503

    Google Scholar 

  • Pini LA, Vitale G, Ottani A, Sandrini M (1997) Naloxone-reversible antinociception by paracetamol in the rat. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 280:934–940

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu HX, Liu J, Kong H et al (2007) Isobolographic analysis of the antinociceptive interactions between ketoprofen and paracetamol. Eur J Pharmacol 557:141–146

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raboisson P, Dallel R (2004) The orofacial formalin test. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 28:219–226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schug SA (2006) Combination analgesia in 2005—a rational approach: focus on paracetamol-tramadol. Clin Rheumatol 25(Suppl 1):S16–S21

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schug SA, Manopas A (2007) Update on the role of non-opioids for postoperative pain treatment. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol 21:15–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seideman P (1993) Additive effect of combined naproxen and paracetamol in rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Rheumatol 32:1077–1082

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shimada SG, Otterness IG, Stitt JT (1994) A study of the mechanism of action of the mild analgesic metamizol. Agents Actions 41:188–192

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tallarida RJ (2000) Drug synergism and dose-effect data analysis. Chapman & Hall, Boca Raton, pp 59–63

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vinegar R, Truax JF, Selph JL (1976) Quantitative comparison of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of aspirin, phenacetin and acetaminophen in rodents. Eur J Pharmacol 37:23–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warner TD, Mitchell JA (2004) Cyclooxygenases: new forms, new inhibitors, and lessons from the clinic. FASEB J 18:790–804

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zelcer S, Kolesnikov Y, Kovalyshyn I et al (2005) Selective potentiation of opioid analgesia by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Brain Res 1040:151–156

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The expert technical assistance of José López and Alejandro Correa is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. F. Miranda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muñoz, J., Navarro, C., Noriega, V. et al. Synergism between COX-3 inhibitors in two animal models of pain. Inflammopharmacol 18, 65–71 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-009-0019-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-009-0019-7

Keywords

Navigation