New 2-(4-(4-bromophenylsulfonyl)phenyl)-4-arylidene-oxazol-5(4H)-ones: analgesic activity and histopathological assessment

This paper reports the synthesis, analgesic activity, acute toxicity and histopathological (HP) assessment of four new compounds from oxazol-5(4H)-ones class that contain in their molecule a diarylsulfone moiety. The new 2-(4-(4-bromophenylsulfonyl)phenyl)-4-arylidene-oxazol-5(4H)-ones were obtained by reaction of 2-(4-(4-bromophenyl-sulfonyl)benzamido)acetic acid intermediate with aromatic aldehydes (benzaldehyde, 4-methoxy, 4-nitro or 4-bromobenzaldehyde), in acetic anhydride and in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate. The new compounds have been characterized by spectral techniques, such as: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mass spectrometry (MS), proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H-NMR) and by elemental analysis. The acute toxicity of the new oxazol-5(4H)-ones in mice was assessed through “acute toxic class” method, according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines. The HP assessment of some preserved organs collected from mice has been performed. The analgesic activity of all new synthesized compounds was carried out with two pharmacological tests: the writhing test and the hot plate test. In order to predict the binding affinities of the synthesized oxazol-5(4H)-ones derivatives against molecular targets involved in pain and inflammation, molecular docking simulations were performed. The results of the writhing test indicated that the most active compound was the oxazolone that contains in the molecule a methoxy group. The acute oral toxicity study revealed no lethal effect of new compounds. The HP assessment of the preserved organs collected from mice did not indicate any cytohistopathological aspects that can be linked to any inflammatory, neoplastic or cytotoxic process, demonstrating the low toxicity of new compounds.