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describe a potential influence of ENP11 on these variables. To further
support its properties to antagonize endocannabinoid activity, we test-
ed its efficacy to inhibit anandamide (AEA)-induced effects on these
variables and compare it to AM251 and Rimonabant efficacy.
AM251 (1.2 mg/kg). The pain perception test was performed using a
Hot Plate device (Socrel, model DS37). The stainless steel plate
(25 × 25 cm) was maintained at 55 °C 1 °C. Rats were placed on the
plate and maintained within the plate area by means of a Plexiglas cyl-
inder (20 cm diameter and 20 cm height). The time elapsed from the
moment the rat was placed on the plate to the time the rat showed
signs of discomfort such as licking its hind paw or jumping to the
highest border of the cylinder was recorded (s) and was considered
the reaction time (latency). Rats received their treatment 30 min before
the test. One additional assessment was performed 60 min after injec-
tion. The hot plate was cleaned thoroughly with a 5% chlorine solution
after each trial. Data are expressed as mean SEM of latency (s) and
were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test followed by post-hoc
Tukey test (p b 0.05).
2. Material and methods
2.1. Animals
Adult male Wistar rats (250 g) were used. Rats remained housed
in standard Plexiglas cages (42 × 25.5 × 20 cm) with sawdust bed-
ding and maintained on a controlled 12/12 h light/dark cycle (lights
on 20:00 h), in climate controlled rooms (21 1 °C and 52% humid-
ity). Water and food (Rat Chow, Purina) were provided ad libitum.
The rats were allowed one week of habituation prior to experimental
manipulation. All rats were used in one experiment only. Every effort
was made to minimize the number of animals used and their poten-
tial suffering. All experiments were carried out during the dark phase
of the photoperiod. The management and animal care adhered strict-
ly to the provisions of the Official Mexican Regulation on “Technical
specifications for the production, care and use of laboratory animals”
(NOM-062-ZOO-1999). Additionally, our protocol was approved by
the Research and Ethics Committee of the Facultad de Medicina,
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).
2.5. Motor control
Rats were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment
groups (n = 5–9): DMSO, AEA (1.0 mg/kg), ENP11 (0.5, 1.0, and
3.0 mg/kg), SR 141716A (1.0 mg/kg), AM251 (1.2 mg/kg), to evalu-
ate motor control. We used a Rota-Rod (Ugo Basile Rota-Rod for
rats 7750 Ugo Basile North America, PA, CA), the apparatus consists
of a set of four drums, 50 cm high, on which 4 subjects are positioned
simultaneously. These drums are separated by opaque disks to pre-
vent the animals from being distracted. The speed of the drum's ro-
tation increases steadily. Each drum has its own digital timer and
display. The time elapsed from the time the rat is placed on the
drum to the time the rat falls on a switch that shuts down a timer,
is quantified.
The assay consists of 2 phases: the first phase is training, and it
consists of placing the animals on the drum and turning on rotation
5 times, 1 min each time. Once the training phase is completed the
animals are returned to their home cages allowing them to rest for
30 min. After this rest period the test begins, for which the animals
are again placed on the Rota-Rod 5 more times, 1 min each time,
while the drum's rotation increases steadily. In all trials, we quanti-
fied the time it took for the animals to fall from the drum (latency
to fall). The Rota-Rod apparatus was cleaned thoroughly with a 5%
chlorine solution after each trial. Data are expressed as mean
SEM of time (s), and were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test
followed by post-hoc Tukey test (p b 0.05).
2.2. Food ingestion
The election of dose used to evaluate the effect of ENP11 on food
ingestion is based on the fact that 1 mg/kg SR141716A reduces food
ingestion (Gómez et al., 2002; Dore et al., 2014), hence, we decided
to use an equimolar dose of ENP11 that is 1 mg/kg, as well as a
lower dose, 0.5 mg/kg and a higher dose, 3 mg/kg.
Rats were randomly assigned to each one of the following groups
(n = 8–11): DMSO (300 μl), ENP11 (0.5, 1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg), SR141716A
(1 mg/kg), AM251 (1.2 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/ENP11
(1 mg/kg); AEA (1 mg/kg)/AM251 (1.2 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/
SR141716A (1 mg/kg). Rat body weight was measured immediately be-
fore treatment. Once rats received the treatment for the group they
belonged to, the amount of food consumption was quantified 1 h later,
and every hour, during the first 4 h of the dark phase of the cycle, and
24 h later. The amount of food consumed is reported as an index of the
amount of food eaten (g) divided by the rat's body weight (g) × 100.
Data are expressed as mean
SEM. Data analyses were carried out
2.6. Drugs
every hour during the first 4 h, for the total 4 h, and for the total of
24 h, by means of a repeated-measures ANOVA test (p b 0.05).
AEA, SR141716A and DMSO were purchased from Sigma Aldrich
Inc., MO, USA. AM251 was obtained from Tocris Bioscience MO, USA.
AEA, Rimonabant, and AM251 were prepared in 100% DMSO. Drugs
were injected intraperitoneally. Regular food used was Purina Lab
Chow. ENP11 synthesis is described below.
2.3. Core temperature
Rats were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment
groups (n = 5–8): DMSO (300 μl), AEA (1 mg/kg), ENP11 (1 mg/kg),
SR141716A (1 mg/kg), AM251 (1.2 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/ENP11
(1 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/SR141716A (1 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/
AM251 (1.2 mg/kg). Core temperature was measured using a rectal
thermometer with a digital display. Once rats were weighed, they re-
ceived the corresponding treatment and returned to their home cage.
Core temperature was measured 30, 60 and 240 min after administra-
2.7. ENP synthesis
The synthesis of ENP11 was published elsewhere (Hernández-
Vázquez et al., 2013). Briefly, the enolate of substituted 4-
trifluoromethyl propiophenone was obtained in methylcyclohexane
by treatment with Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and was then
treated with diethyl oxalate to obtain the tricarbonylic lithium salt
in 70% yield. The next step was the cyclocondensation of 2,4-
difluorophenylhydrazine and the previously obtained tricarbonylic
compound in a sulfuric acid–ethanol solution, which afforded the
ethyl pyrazole-5-carboxylate. The ester was converted to the corre-
sponding carboxylic acid by treatment with potassium hydroxide at
50 °C, resulting in a yield of 59% for two steps. Finally, the target product
was achieved with 81% yield by formation of the acyl chloride derivative
from the pyrazole 5-carboxylic acid and the subsequent reaction with
1-aminopiperidine and N,N-Diisopropylethylamine in chloroform.
tion. Data are expressed as mean
SEM and were analyzed using a
one-way repeated-measures ANOVA test followed by post-hoc Tukey
test (p b 0.05).
2.4. Pain perception
Rats were randomly assigned to one of the following treatment
groups (n = 7 each group): DMSO, AEA (1 mg/kg), ENP11 (1 mg/kg),
SR 141716A (1 mg/kg), AM251 (1.2 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/ENP11
(1 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/SR141716A (1 mg/kg), AEA (1 mg/kg)/