<i>In vivo</i> evaluation of the antinociceptive effects of novel methylsulfonyl group-containing compounds

Pain management is among the problems that remain important today, and analgesic agents such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and anticonvulsants used in pain treatment cause various side effects. Therefore, new, safe, and highly effective drugs are needed. Synthesis of chemical molecules has begun to be preferred as a faster and easier method in new drug development processes. In this study, new compounds (<b>3a-3k</b>) containing the "methylsulfonyl group," which have been shown to have potential inhibitory effects on cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes responsible for the synthesis of inflammatory mediators, were synthesized. Central antinociceptive effect of the compounds was evaluated by hot-plate and tail-immersion tests, and the peripheral antinociceptive effect was evaluated by acetic acid-induced writhing test. <b>3a, 3b, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i, 3j</b>, and <b>3k</b> (20 mg/kg) significantly increased the percentage of the maximum possible effect (MPE %) in the hot-plate test compared to the control group. <b>3a-3k</b> (20 mg/kg) significantly increased MPE % in the tail-immersion test compared to the control group and significantly decreased the number of writhings in the acetic acid-induced writhing test. The results of this study indicate that the synthesized compounds containing methylsulfonyl groups have central and peripheral antinociceptive effects.