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EVALUATION OF ANALGESIC AND
ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS
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EVALUATION OF ANALGESIC
Methods for evaluation
In vivo methods In vitro methods
• Thermal methods
• Electrical methods
• Mechanical method
• Chemical method
• 3H-Naloxone binding assay
• 3H-Dihydromorphine binding to µ
opiate receptors in rat brain
• 3H-Bremazocine binding to κ opiate
receptors in guinea pig cerebellum
• Isolated tissue preparation
Introduction
 What is Analgesic?
A drug which diminishes the perception of pain by
selectively depressing nociceptive mechanism.
 Pain is very difficult to define and measure
 Pain is differ in animal than in man by two ways
• Absence of report of pain felt response are observed
• Placebo effect is not be expected
In vivo techniques
 Thermal methods
Hot plate method
Tail immersion method
Radiant heat method
 Electrical methods
Pododolorimeter
Rectodolorimeter
Tooth pulp stimulation
 Mechanical method
Tail Clip Method
 Chemical method
Writhing method
In vivo methods
Criteria for selection of methods:
• Methods must permits quantitative determination of threshold value of
nociceptive stimulus.
• It should yield quantitative information on difference in intensity of stimuli.
• Applicable to both animal and man.
In vivo methods
Problems with analgesic agents:
• False positive to avoid this discoordination test is performed.
• In this test animals are placed on slowly rotating drum covered with wire mesh,
the animals that fall off are considered as discoordinated Excluded from
experiment
Thermal methods
Hot plate method
Purpose and rationale
• Evaluation of opioid analgesic
• Do not stimulate mechanoreceptor
• Stimulus is easy to control & applied to moving
subject
• To determine Analgesic potency ,Analgesic peak time and Duration of analgesic
drug.
Response observed - licking of fore paw and/or hind paws ,jumping.
Procedure :-
Hot plate method
Hot plate analgesy meter
Hot plate method
Analysis of data
{post drug latency-pre drug latency}
MPE =
{cutoff time(60s)-pre drug latency}
ED50 :
Plot graph of %MPE Vs Dose
Peak analgesic time:
Plot graph of mean group latency (s) Vs time (min)
Duration of analgesic action
Plot graph of mean group latency (s) Vs time (min)
and find out AUC .
Tail immersion technique
Purpose and rationale:
• Evaluation of centrally acting analgesic drug
• To determine Analgesic potency ,Analgesic peak time and Duration of analgesic
drug.
• In contrast to hot plate, this test is useful in repeated nociceptive evaluation
using the same animal.
Response observed –Violent jerk of tail.
Tail immersion technique
Tail immersion technique
Analysis of data
{post drug latency-pre drug latency}
MPE =
{cutoff time(15s)-pre drug latency}
ED50 ;
Plot graph of %MPE Vs Dose
Peak analgesic time:
Plot graph of mean group latency (s) Vs time (min)
Duration of analgesic action
Plot graph of mean group latency (s) Vs time (min)
and find out AUC .
Radiant heat method
Purpose and rationale
• The test is very useful centrally acting morphine-like analgesics.
• To determine Analgesic potency ,Analgesic peak time and Duration of analgesic
drug.
Response observed Flicking of tail.
Radiant heat method
Procedure:
• Mice or rats
• Normal reaction time is determined.
• The animal is put into a small cage with an opening for
the tail at the rear wall.
• The tail is held gently by the investigator.
• By opening of a shutter, a light beam exerting radiant
heat is directed to the proximal third of the tail.
• The test compounds and the standard are
administered either orally or subcutaneously. The
animals are exposed to the same testing procedure
after 30, 60 and eventually 120 min
Radiant heat method
Analysis of data
{post drug latency- pre drug latency}
MPE =
{cut off time (60)- pre drug latency}
ED50 :
Plot graph of Dose Vs %MPE
Peak analgesic time
Plot graph of time (min) Vs mean group latency (s)
Duration of analgesic action
Plot graph of time (min) Vs mean group latency (s)
and find out AUC .
Radiant heat method
Critical assessment of the test
• The radiant heat test on the tail of mice is very effective to estimate the efficacy
and potency of central acting analgesic drugs.
Electrical methods
Pododolorimeter
• It consist of cage capable of accommodating mouse or rat
and having floor made of metallic rod which can be
electrified and voltage is applied.
• Response observed  crying and struggling
• This method are used for evaluation of centrally and
peripherally acting analgesic
Rectodolorimeter
• In this floor of cage consist of single copper plate which is
connected to pole of current supply and other pole is
connected to small electrode inserted to animal rectum. In
this method voltage require to produce the response is less
than Pododolorimeter
• This method are used for evaluation of centrally and
peripherally acting analgesic.
Tooth pulp stimulation
Purpose
Evaluation of centrally and peripherally acting analgesics
Procedure
• Rabbits
• Pulp chambers are exposed close to the gingival line in
the lateral margins of the two front upper incisors with
a high-speed dental drill.
• On the day of the experiment, clamping electrodes are
placed into the drilled holes. After an accommodation
period of 30 min stimulation is started to determine the
threshold value.
• The stimulus frequency of 50 Hz with duration is 1 s.
The electrical current is started with 0.2 mA
 Response observed--licking, biting, chewing and head flick
Tooth pulp stimulation
Evaluation
Increase of threshold, expressed in mV, is calculated
and find out ED50
Critical assessment of the method
Central analgesics found to be very active in this
test. High sensitivity than hot plate method. In
addition, non-opiate analgesics like ketamine and
peripheral analgesics like pyrazolone derivatives give a
positive response.
Mechanical method
Tail clip method
Procedure
• Male mice with a weight between 18 and 25 g are used.
• The test compounds are administered subcutaneously to
fed mice or orally to fasted animals.
• The drug is administered 15, 30 or 60 min prior testing. An
artery clip is applied to the root of the tail (approximately 1
cm from the body) to induce pain.
Response observed  biting the clip or the tail near the
location of the clip.
Tail clip method
Analysis of data
{post drug latency- pre drug latency}
MPE =
{cut off time (15s)- pre drug latency}
ED50 :
Plot graph of Dose Vs %MPE
Peak analgesic time
Plot graph of time (min) Vs mean group latency (s)
Duration of analgesic action
Plot graph of time (min) Vs mean group latency (s)
and find out AUC .
Chemical method
Writhing test
Purpose and rationale
• Pain is induced by injection of irritants into the peritoneal cavity of mice. The
animals react with a characteristic stretching behavior which is called writhing.
• An irritating agent such as phenylquinone or acetic acid are used.
• Evaluation of peripheral analgesic
Response observed  writhing
Writhing test
Procedure
• Mice
• Phenylquinone in a concentration of 0.02% is suspended in a 1% suspension of
carboxymethylcellulose. 0.25 ml suspension is injected intraperitoneally.
• Groups of 6 animals are used for controls and treated mice. The mice are placed
individually into glass beakers and five min are allowed to elapse.
• The mice are then observed for a period of ten min and the number of writhes is
recorded for each animal.
• For scoring purposes, a writhes is indicated by stretching of the abdomen with
simultaneous stretching of at least one hindlimb.
Writhing test
Evaluation
% Inhibition is calculated
avg writhes (control)-avg writhes
(test)
% Inhibition = 100 x
avg writhes (control)
ED50 :
Plot graph of Dose Vs % inhibition
Other methods
 Monkey shock titration test
 Formalin test in rats
 Pain in inflamed tissue (RANDALL-SELITTO-test
In vitro methods
• 3H-Dihydromorphine binding to µ opiate receptors in rat brain
• 3H-Naloxone binding assay
• 3H-Bremazocine binding to κ opiate receptors in guinea pig
cerebellum
• Isolated tissue preparation
3H-Dihydromorphine binding to µ
receptors
Purpose and rationale
µ Receptors are considered to mediate the supraspinal
activity of opioids. 3H-Dihydromorphine (3H-
DHM)exhibits some selectivity for the µ receptor, a
high affinity opiate binding site.
Tissue preparation
Male Wistar rats are sacrificed by decapitation. whole
brains homogenated.
3H-Dihydromorphine binding to µ
receptors
Assay
• 1 850 µl tissue suspension
• 80 µl distilled water
• 20 µl vehicle, or levallorphan, or appropriate concentration of drug
• 50 µl [3H]DHM.
Evaluation
• Specific binding is defined as the difference between total binding and binding in
the presence of 0.1 mM levallorphan.
• IC50 values are calculated from the percent specific binding at each drug
concentration.
Isolated tissue preparations
Electrically evoked contractions of isolated tissue preparations from
different species:
• The contractions of the mouse vas deferens are inhibited by µ-, δ-, and κ-
agonists .
• The guinea-pig myenteric plexus-longitudinal muscle preparation by µ-
and κ-agonists
• Rabbit vas deferens by κ-agonists, and
• Hamster vas deferens by δ-agonists. The contractions of the rat vas
deferens are inhibited mainly, but not exclusively, by δ-agonists.
EVALUATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
AGENTS
In vivo methods In vitro methods
• UV-erythema in guinea pigs
• Vascular permeability
• Oxazolone-induced ear edema in
mice
• Paw edema
• Pleurisy test
• Granuloma pouch technique
• Cotton wool granuloma
• Glass rod granuloma
• PVC sponge granuloma.
•
3
H-Bradykinin receptor binding
•
3
H-Substance P receptor binding
Methods for evaluation
Introduction
 What is inflammation ?
Inflammation is a process which begins sublethal injury to
tissues. The classical signs of inflammation are “rubor”
(redness), “tumor” (swelling), “calor”(heat), “dolor”(pain),
“functia laesa”(loss of function).
The inflammatory process events elicited by infectious
agents, ischemia, antigen-antibody interactions, chemical,
thermal or mechanical injury.
Introduction
Inflammatory responses :
• An acute, transient phase, local vasodilatation
and increased capillary permeability,
• A subacute phase, infiltration of leukocytes
and phagocytic cells,
• Chronic proliferative phase, tissue
degeneration and fibrosis occur.
In vivo methods
Methods for testing acute and subacute
inflammation are:
• UV-erythema in guinea pigs
• Vascular permeability
• Oxazolone-induced ear edema in mice
• Paw edema in rats (various modifications and various
irritants)
• Pleurisy tests
• Granuloma pouch technique (various modifications and
various irritants)
Methods for testing acute and subacute
inflammation
Ultraviolet erythema in guinea pigs
Purpose
• Evaluation of anti –inflammatory agents
Procedure
• Albino guinea pigs (average weight of 350 g ). Eighteen h prior
testing, the animals are shaved on both flanks and on the back.
• On the next day, the test compound is dissolved (or suspended) in
the vehicle and half the dose of the test compound is administered
by orally (at 10 ml/kg) 30 min before ultraviolet exposure. Control
animals are treated with the vehicle alone.
• The guinea pigs are placed in a leather cuff with a hole of 1.5 . 2.5
cm size punched in it, allowing the ultraviolet radiation to reach
only this area.
Ultraviolet erythema in guinea pigs
Evaluation
The degree of erythema is evaluated visually by 2 different
investigators in a double blinded manner. Scores are given:
• 0 = no erythema,
• 1 = weak erythema,
• 2 = strong erythema,
• 4 = very strong erythema.
ED50 values is calculated
Critical assessment
The test has the advantage of simplicity but needs training
of the investigators. Corticosteroids after systemic
application are ineffective in this test, however, can be
evaluated after topical administration.
Vascular permeability method
Purpose
• The test is used to evaluate the inhibitory activity of
drugs against increased vascular permeability which is
induced by a phlogistic substance.
Procedure
• Rat.
• The ventral sides of the animal are shaved. Five ml/kg of
an 1% solution of Evan’s blue are injected intravenously.
• 1 hr later the animals are dosed with the test compound
orally or intraperitoneally or with the vehicle.
contd..
Vascular permeability method
• 30min later, 0.05 ml of an 0.01% solution of compound
48/80 are injected intracutaneously at 3 sites both at the
left and ventral side.
• Ninety minutes after the injection of compound 48/80 the
animals are sacrificed by ether anesthesia.
• The abdominal skin is removed and the dye-infiltrated
areas of the skin are measured.
Evaluation
• The diameter of the dye-infiltrated areas is measured in
millimeters in two perpendicular directions and the mean
values of all injection sites in one animal are calculated.
Vascular permeability method
.
• The percent inhibition in the treated animals as compared
to the control group is calculated.
• ED50 values is calculated
Critical assessment
• Characterization of a new anti-inflammatory compound.
• Sympathomimetic activity have a pronounced effect
cannot be regarded as a primary screening test for anti-
inflammatory products.
• Together with an observation of writhing of mice  able
to distinguish between narcotic and non narcotic
analgesics
Oxazolone-induced ear edema in mice
Purpose
• Evaluation of the topical and systemic anti-inflammatory
activity of a compound following topical administration.
Procedure
• The mice are sensitized by application of 0.1 ml 2%
oxazolone on the inside of both ears under halothane
anesthesia. The mice are challenged 8 days later again
under anesthesia by applying 0.01 ml 2% oxazolone
solution to the inside of the right ear (control). The left
ear remains untreated.
• After 24 h the animals are sacrificed under anesthesia and
a disc of 8 mm diameter is punched from both sides. The
discs are immediately weighed on a balance.
Oxazolone-induced ear edema in mice
Evaluation
• Average values of the change in weight are
calculated for each treated group and compared
statistically with the control group.
Critical assessment
• The method is suitable for both steroidal and non-
steroidal compounds as well as for the evaluation
of various topical formulations.
Paw edema
Purpose
• Evaluation of anti –inflammatory agents
Procedure
• The rats  subcutaneous injection of 0.05 ml of 1%
solution of carrageenan into the plantar side of the left
hind paw.
• The paw is marked with ink at the level of the lateral
malleolus and immersed in mercury up to this mark.
• The paw volume is measured plethysmographically
immediately after injection, again 3 and 6 h, and
eventually 24 h after challenge.
Paw edema
Evaluation
• The increase of paw volume after 3 or 6 h is calculated
as percentage compared with the volume measured
immediately after injection of the irritant for each animal.
• A dose- response curve is run for active drugs and ED50
values can be determined.
Paw edema
Modifications
• 0.05 ml undiluted fresh egg white
• 0.1 ml of 1% ovalbumin solution
• 0.1 ml of 1% formalin
• 0.1 ml of 0.2% carrageenan solution
• 0.1 ml of 1% carrageenan solution plus 100 ng PGE2
or PGI2
• 0.1 ml of 1 to 3% dextran solution
• 0.1 ml of 2.5% brewer’s yeast powder suspension
Methods for testing proliferative
phase
Cotton wool granuloma
Purpose
• granulomas were provoked in rats by subcutaneous
implantation of pellets of compressed cotton. After
several days, histologically giant cells and
undifferentiated connective tissue can be observed
besides the fluid infiltration.
• The method has been useful for evaluation of steroidal
and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Cotton wool granuloma
Procedure
• Rats anaesthetized The back skin is shaved. An incision is made in the
lumbar region. By a blunted forceps subcutaneous tunnels are formed and a
sterilized cotton pellet is placed on both sides in the scapular region. The
animals are treated for 7 days subcutaneously or orally.
• Than, the animals are sacrificed, the pellets are prepared and dried until the
weight remains constant.
Cotton wool granuloma
Evaluation
• The average weight of the pellets of the control group
as well as of the test group is calculated.
• The percent change of granuloma weight relative to
vehicle control group is determined.
Others methods
 Sponge implantation technique
 Glass rod granuloma
In vitro techniques
3H-Bradykinin receptor binding
3H-Substance P receptor binding
3H-bradykinin receptor binding
Purpose
The 3H-bradykinin receptor binding is used to detect
compounds that inhibit binding of 3H-bradykinin in
membrane preparations obtained from guinea-pig ileum.
Procedure
Ileum homogenate centrifuge final pellets
resuspended
• 150 l ileum suspension
• 50 l 3H-bradykinin ( 0.005 x 10
-9
)
• 50 l test compound (10
-5
to 10
-10
) and total binding
and non specific binding is determined.
3H-bradykinin receptor
binding
Evaluation
• Total binding of 3H-bradykinin
• Non-specific binding in the presence of 10 µM
bradykinin
• Specific binding = total binding – non-specific binding
• % inhibition: 100 – specific binding as percentage of
control value and RBA is calculated
3H-Substance P receptor binding
Purpose
Evaluation of substance P antagonists as anti-inflammatory
and analgesic drugs.
Procedure
porcine brains homogenate centrifuge final pellets
resuspended
• 150 l suspension
• 50 l 3H-substanceP ( 0.003 x 10
-9
M )
• 50 l test compound (10
-5
to 10
-10
M ) total binding and
non specific binding is determined.
3H-Substance P receptor binding
Evaluation
• Total binding of 3H substance P
• Non-specific binding in the presence of 25 µM substance P
• Specific binding = total binding – non-specific binding
• % inhibition: 100 – specific binding as percentage of control value and RBA is
calculated
antiinflammatory drugs ppt..............