Pharmacological studies on new potential local anesthetics

The results of the pharmacological screening of a series of new basic aminoalkyl aryl ethers are reported. The anesthetic effects of these compounds were evaluated by the guinea pig intradermal wheal test. Lidocaine was used as the standard and normal saline as the control. These were, generally, better than or as good as the standard, in terms of potency, onset of action, duration of effect, time of full recovery from complete anesthesia and lack of both apparent local and systemic side effects. The duration of action of their local anesthesia has shown a strong dependence on the substitution pattern of the compounds. Moreover, it seems that these compounds act selectively and reversibly by blocking nervous conduction at a localized area, as small as a skin wheal, without any obvious deleterious untoward reactions, i.e. they are structurally specific and act at the neuronal channels (receptor sites). Thus, due to their outstanding local anesthetic profiles, it is worthy to conduct additional studies on these agents, as potential candidates for the treatment of intolerable chronic pain, which does not respond to mild analgesic drugs, and other available medicines.