title: Farnesol: antinociceptive effect and histopathological analysis of the striatum and hippocampus of mice.
abstract: Farnesol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies have found that antioxidant compounds may exert a certain protective effect against neurotoxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of farnesol (FAR) and its neurotoxic effects on the brains of adult mice. In this study, two mouse models of analgesia were used to evaluate FAR at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). In the acetic acid-induced writhing test, a significant decrease was found in the number of contortions in the FAR-treated mice at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. FAR was also found to inhibit the licking response in the injected paw at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg (i.p.) in the first (0-5 min) and second phases (15-30 min) of the formalin test. To evaluate neurotoxic effects, Swiss mice were treated with 0.9% saline (i.p., control group), 0.05 Tween 80 dissolved in 0.9% saline (i.p., vehicle group), and FAR 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg, i.p. Following treatment, all groups were observed for 72 h. In the FAR 200-mg group, 16% of the animals suffered brain injury that affected 12% of the area of the hippocampus. No lesions were found in the hippocampal and striatal regions of the brain in any of the animals treated with the 50 and 100 mg/kg doses of FAR. In conclusion, FAR exerts an antinociceptive effect with no significant neurotoxicity in the brains of adult mice.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, CP 5009, CEP 58051-970, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Walter Mendes
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Júnior
authors.forename: Rubens Batista
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Benedito
authors.forename: Wendel Batista
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Arruda Torres
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto Fernandes
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Jéssica Pereira
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Rocha Tomé
authors.forename: Damião Pergentino
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Rivelilson Mendes
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.forename: Margareth
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Fatima Formiga Melo Diniz
authors.forename: Reinaldo Nóbrega
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: de Almeida
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D005204:Farnesol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D005204:Farnesol