Treatment of stroke with opiate antagonists — Effects of exogenous antagonists and dynorphin 1–13

We studied the effects of acute and long-term, continuous administration of six opioid compounds—naloxone, naltrexone, diprenorphine, leucine enkephalin, dynorphin 1–13, and dynorphin 3–13—on neurologic function, survival, and infarct size in a feline model of acute focal cerebral ischemia. Acutely, aaloxone, naltrexone, and diprenorphine significantly improved motor function over baseline scores; the other drugs and saline (control) had no effect. In the long-term condition, no substance administered significantly affected level of consciousness, sensory function, or pupillary reactions. Naloxone, naltrexone, and dynorphin 1–13 significantly prolonged survival (p