Anatomical mapping of brain sites involved in the antinociceptive effects of ketoprofen.

Ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has analgesic effects in animals and humans through a peripheral as well as a central action. This study was designed to determine which brain sites are involved in the central analgesic action of ketoprofen, by using the hot-plate test. Latencies to the first hindpaw lick were recorded in animals receiving local cerebral injections of ketoprofen (10 micrograms in 0.3 microliters) or a control solution (saline). Nineteen brain sites were tested. A significant analgesia was obtained in the 8 following sites: central gray, centro-medial nucleus of the thalamus, nucleus reuniens, dorso-lateral geniculate nucleus, medial geniculate nucleus, dorso-medial and ventro-medial nuclei of the hypothalamus, posterior hypothalamic nucleus and lateral vestibular nucleus. A slight analgesia, which did not reach significance, was observed in three structures: dorsal raphé, raphé magnus and ventral postero-medial thalamic nucleus. No analgesia was observed in other sites: centro-lateral nucleus of the thalamus, posterior thalamic nuclear group, parafascicular nucleus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, mesencephalic tegmentum, nucleus of the tractus solitarius, spinal trigeminal complex, and brainstem reticular formation. Therefore ketoprofen seems to be centrally active mostly at the level of several integrative and non-specific structures.