ANALGESIC AND ANTIINFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF 3-[3-(PHENYL)-1,2,4-OXADIAZOL-5-YL] PROPIONIC-ACID

Significant local analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity has been ob served after oral administration of 3-[3-(phenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl ] propionic acid (POPA). Doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight admini stered orally by gavage to adult (25-35 g) albino mice of both sexes c an inhibit acetic acid-induced writhing by 31.0% and 49.5%, respective ly (mean +/- SEM writhing numbers during 20 min were 52.0 +/- 6.0 and 38.3 +/- 7.2 vs 75.8 +/- 6.6 for control group which received saline; N = 6). Carrageenin-induced inflammation in the female Wistar rat (200 -250 g) can be reduced by 43.3% and 42.2% 3 h after oral administratio n (gavage) of 75 and 150 mg/kg of POPA (mean +/- SEM, 30.0 +/- 1.3% an d 30.6 +/- 2.4% vs 52.9 +/- 3.7% for control group which received sali ne; N = 5). In the hot plate test on adult albino mice (25-35 g) of bo th sexes, POPA (150 and 300 mg/kg, po) was totally ineffective (N = 10 ). Our results indicate that POPA appears to offer potential safety an d efficacy as a local analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent with no ce ntral nervous system involvement.