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A simple pain model for the evaluation of analgesic effects of NSAIDs in healthy subjects
Author(s) -
Sycha Thomas,
Gustorff Burkhard,
Lehr Stephan,
Tanew Adrian,
Eichler HansGeorg,
Schmetterer Leopold
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1046/j.0306-5251.2003.01869.x
Subject(s) - ibuprofen , medicine , placebo , threshold of pain , analgesic , anesthesia , erythema , sensitization , crossover study , pain tolerance , sunburn , nociception , pharmacology , surgery , dermatology , alternative medicine , pathology , immunology , receptor
Aims Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are believed to counteract inflammation and inflammation‐induced sensitization of nociceptors by inhibiting peripheral prostaglandin synthesis. We evaluated an experimental pain model for NSAIDs, that included an inflammatory component to mimic clinical inflammatory pain conditions. Methods The study was performed in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, two‐way crossover design on 32 healthy volunteers. A small skin area of the proximal upper leg was irradiated with a UVB source using three times the individually estimated minimal erythema dose. Twenty hours after irradiation skin temperature, heat pain threshold and tolerance in sunburn spot were measured using a thermal sensory testing. These measurements were repeated 2 h after medication of either 800 mg ibuprofen as single oral dose or placebo capsules. Effects of ibuprofen on outcome parameters were assessed with analyses of covariance ( ancova ). Results Placebo did not affect heat pain threshold or tolerance. By contrast, ibuprofen increased heat pain threshold by 1.092 °C [confidence interval (CI) 0.498, 1.695; P = 0.0008) compared with placebo. Heat pain tolerance also increased significantly by 1.618 °C (CI 1.062, 2.175; P = 0.0001). Conclusion The pain model we evaluated was well tolerated in all subjects and the effects of ibuprofen were highly significant. This model is simple, sensitive to NSAIDs’ effects and therefore has potential for future experimental pain studies.