title: Antinociceptive action of Azadirachta indica (neem) in mice: possible mechanisms involved.
abstract: Azadirachta indica (AI, Neem) was tested for analgesic potency in experimental pain models in mice. In the glacial acetic acid (GAA) induced writhing test, AI (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg) dose-dependently reduced both the incidence and the number of writhes. Similarly, AI, at the dose levels tested, also enhanced tail withdrawal latencies in the tail-flick test for nociception. In the interaction studies, pretreatment with the opioid antagonist, naloxone (1 mg/kg) and the central noradrenaline depleter, DSP-4 (50 mg/kg) attenuated AI analgesia by differential degrees in both experimental models, whereas, the serotonin synthesis inhibitor, PCPA (300 mg/kg) potentiated the same. These results suggest that both central and peripheral mechanisms and complex neural pathways, opioid and non-opioid, may be involved in AI induced analgesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, U.C.M.S. & G.T.B. Hospital, Shahdara, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D010936:Plant Extracts