Carbamazepine exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the rat

In a first set of experiments, we evaluated the effects of different doses (5.0, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg p.o.) of carbamazepine on nociceptive thresholds to thermal and mechanical stimuli, and on paw inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by the injection of brewer's yeast. Moreover, we studied the effect of carbamazepine on paw inflammatory edema by plethysmometry. Carbamazepine did not modify nociceptive latencies, but dose dependently reduced the hyperalgesia and the edema induced by the brewer's yeast injection in the rat hindpaw. In a second set of experiments, we studied the effects induced by the same doses of the drug on subcutaneous carrageenin-induced inflammation. Carbamazepine dose dependently reduced the inflammatory exudate, the prostaglandin E(2)-like activity in the exudate, and the substance P concentrations in the exudate. Our results demonstrate that carbamazepine is able to inhibit the development of different types of inflammation in the rat.