Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Roxithromycin and Erythromycin, Alone and in Combination with Ibuprofen: An Animal Study

Abstract

Background: Several in-vitro, animal and clinical studies have reported anti-inflammatory activity of macrolides. Antiinflammatory properties of macrolides form the basis for their experimental use in airway inflammatory and infective conditions like asthma Materials and Method: After animal ethics committee approval, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic potentials of erythromycin (40 mg/kg) and roxithromycin (20 mg/kg) were evaluated in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model and rat tail flick model respectively, in comparison and combination with ibuprofen (100 mg/kg) in albino wistar rats. Results and Interpretation: Both the macrolides were found to have significant anti-inflammatory activity, roxithromycin being slightly more efficacious than erythromycin. Combination with ibuprofen failed to produce improved benefit. Both the macrolides neither showed significant analgesic property alone, nor enhanced analgesic effect of ibuprofen significantly. Conclusion:The macrolides have shown anti-inflammatory activity and a tendency towards analgesic potential; possible mechanisms are discussed. Further studies are required before any recommendations can be made.

Exploring novel medical applications for commonly used veterinary drug (tilmicosin antibiotic)

“…Tilmicosin phosphate possessed central and peripheral analgesic activities at both doses (20-40 mg/kg, orally). These results were come in agreement with [38] they found that both roxithromycin and erythromycin had ant nociceptive effect.…”

“…The pain is induced due to liberation of endogenous substances as well as other pain mediators such as arachodonic acid via cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin biosynthesis especially PGE2 and PGF2α, which then stimulate the pain nerve endings [39,40] Tilmicosin phosphate signi icantly (p<0.05) inhibited acetic acid-induced writhes in mice. The inhibition in the pain might attributed to inhibition of pain mediators PGE2 which achieved by all macrolides [41] all macrolides via inhibition of hyperalgesic mediators such as PGE2¸ which are predominantly involved in peripheral pain [38].…”

The possible anti-inflammatory activity of macrolide antibiotics in male albino rat models

“…The anti-inflammatory properties of macrolides form the basis for their experimental use in bronchial asthma and air way inflammatory and infective conditions (Maselli et al, 2011;Vaz et al, 2011). Since Meloxicam is known inhibitor of cox-2, the combination of two anti-inflammatory drug acting via different mechanisms should have caused an increased effect also as seen in Khobragade et al (2011) study. This may be explained by the similarity in final targets in the inflammatory pathway at which macrolides and NSAIDS appear to act.…”

Study of evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of macrolide antibiotics in rats: an experimental study

“…Previous studies, such as Ianaro et al, 9 Prathima et al, 11 Khobragade et al, 14 Scaglione and Rossoni, 27 and Agen et al, 28 have also shown that macrolide antibiotics have anti-inflammatory activity using various animal models of inflammation. Our results correlate with the findings in above studies.…”

“…The most probable mechanisms of acute anti-inflammatory activity of macrolide antibiotics could be due to the inhibition of synthesis of prostaglandins, serotonin, histamine and other inflammatory mediators. 9,14,27 Insignificant chronic anti-inflammatory activity of macrolides could be due to that, they do not inhibit fibroblast proliferation and synthesis of collagen in chronic inflammation.…”