Comparison of the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and gastric effects of vinpocetine and piracetam in rats

ABSTRACT

The nootropic agents vinpocetine and piracetam are widely used in the treatment of memory and neurodegenerative disorders. The current study compared the effects of the two drugs in experimental models of inflammation and on the development of gastric mucosal damage evoked by indomethacin in rats. In paw oedema caused by subplantar injection of carrageenan, vinpocetine, given s.c., at doses of 0.45-1.8 mg/kg, produced only a slight decrease in paw volume. By contrast, piracetam administered s.c., at 75 mg/kg, significantly inhibited the oedema response, but at a higher dose 300 mg/kg produced a sustained dose-related increases in paw volume. In the hot-plate test of thermal pain, vinpocetine, but not piracetam, produced a dose-related reduction in nociceptive responses. Gastric mucosal lesions induced by s.c. indomethacin [20 mg/kg] were inhibited by vinpocetine [0.45-1.8 mg/kg, s.c.], but increased after piracetam [75-300 mg/kg, s.c.] in a dose-dependent manner. It is concluded that the nootropic drugs exert different effects on inflammation and gastric mucosal integrity in rats