A comparative experimental study of antinociceptive activity of fluoxetine with pentazocine in rodent models

Introduction: Chronic pain affects millions of people, commonly coexisting with depression and anxiety. Antidepressants like fluoxetine have been shown to have analgesic activity with favourable safety profile and hence might be better suited in the management of chronic pain.Objectives: To evaluate the analgesic activity of fluoxetine and to compare the analgesic effect of fluoxetine with pentazocine.Materials and Methods: Adult albino rats weighing 150-200 grams were used in this study. Screening method used was Eddy’s hot plate method in rats. Rats were divided into three groups of 5 animals and drugs administered as follows:Group-1: Distilled water (control)Group-2: FluoxetineGroup-3: PentazocineAll drugs were administered 30 minutes before the onset of pain stimulus. Statistical analysis was done by using one way-Analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) followed by Tukey-Kramer test.Results: Fluoxetine showed significant analgesic activity in hotplate method, but it was less significant than that of pentazocine.