Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen ameliorate muscular mechanical hyperalgesia developed after lengthening contractions via cyclooxygenase-2 independent mechanisms in rats

PLoS One. 2019 Nov 6;14(11):e0224809. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224809. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen are cyclooxygenase inhibitors commonly used as symptomatic medicines for myofascial pain syndrome. Using the selective inhibitors celecoxib and zaltoprofen, cyclooxygenase-2 has been shown to be involved in the initiation, but not the maintenance, of muscular mechanical hyperalgesia induced by lengthening contractions, which serves as a useful model for the study of myofascial pain syndrome. The effect of other cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, such as acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, loxoprofen sodium, and acetaminophen, on muscular mechanical hyperalgesia during maintenance has not been studied. Here, we examined the analgesic effects of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen on the model. Consistent with previous studies, mechanical withdrawal threshold of the muscle was significantly decreased and reached its lowest level 24 h after lengthening contractions. Celecoxib had no effect on muscular mechanical hyperalgesia, when orally administered 24 h after lengthening contractions. In contrast, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, loxoprofen sodium, and acetaminophen increased the withdrawal threshold, which had decreased by lengthening contractions, in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate the analgesic actions of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen in the maintenance process of lengthening contraction-induced muscular mechanical hyperalgesia, which may occur through cyclooxygenase-2 independent mechanisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetaminophen / pharmacology
  • Acetaminophen / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use*
  • Celecoxib / pharmacology
  • Celecoxib / therapeutic use
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 / metabolism*
  • Hyperalgesia / drug therapy*
  • Hyperalgesia / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Muscle Contraction* / drug effects
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiopathology*
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Acetaminophen
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Celecoxib

Grants and funding

This work was fully funded by Lion Corporation (https://www.lion.co.jp/en/). TS and SM are employees of Lion Corporation. The Lion Corporation provided support in the form of salaries for authors TS and SM. TT received technical assistance fee from Lion Corporation. The funder had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the 'author contributions' section.