Antinociceptive effect of N-(3-(phenylselanyl)prop-2-yn-1-yl)benzamide in mice: Involvement of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C receptors

Abstract

Pain strongly affects public health, both because of the patient suffering and the socioeconomic impact. The available drugs for pain treatment are not fully effective and have many adverse effects. Therefore, there is a need to obtain new analgesic compounds. This study evaluated the antinociceptive effect of N-(3-(phenylselanyl)prop-2-yn-1-yl)benzamide (SePB), an organoselenium compound containing the benzamide moiety, through time (15–120 min) and dose-response (1–50 mg/kg) curves in thermal and chemical mice models of nociception, as well as the involvement of the serotonergic system in this effect. The open-field test (OFT) was carried out to assess locomotor activity. SePB (10 mg/kg) induced an increase in the latency to nociception response in the tail immersion test from 30 min. In the dose-response curves, SePB at different doses reduced latency time to nociceptive response in the tail immersion and hot plate tests, and reduced the licking time in the glutamate test, demonstrating antinociceptive effect, without altering the locomotor activity of mice. WAY100635 (0.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously, a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist), ketanserin (0.3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, a 5-HT2A/2C receptor antagonist), but not ondansetron (0.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist), administered 15 min before SePB, prevented the increased latency to nociceptive response induced by SePB in the tail immersion test, demonstrating that 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C receptors are involved in the antinociceptive effect of SePB. Upon more studies evaluating SePB antinociceptive effects in chronic pain models and its toxicity, this compound could be indicated as an interesting molecule to treat pain.