It is presumed that the central nervous system play a role in inflammation. Some reports have been made on the anti-inflammatory action of morphine and chlorpromazine, therefore anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of benzodiazepine derivatives, a kind of tranquillizer, were examined.
On the acute and subacute various experimental inflammations, benzodiazepines showed an inhibitory effect in some cases and not in others depending on the phlogist and method. In order for benzodiazepine to inhibit inflammation, a greater dose than the effective tranquillizing dose was required even so, the anti-inflammatory activity was slight. There was no derivative which had consistent anti-inflammatory effect among the benzodiazepines. All benzodiazepines tested showed no analgesic effect, but rather a synergistic effect in combination with morphine. The potentiation of benzodiazepines to morphine was found in a less than effective tranquilizing dose. From the above results, it may be considered that benzodiazepines do not have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, but rather potentiate the analgesic effect of morphine.
