Articles: narcotic-antagonists.
-
Although activated spinal cord glia contribute importantly to neuropathic pain, how nerve injury activates glia remains controversial. It has recently been proposed, on the basis of genetic approaches, that toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) may be a key receptor for initiating microglial activation following L5 spinal nerve injury. The present studies extend this idea pharmacologically by showing that TLR4 is key for maintaining neuropathic pain following sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI). ⋯ This finding with (+)-naloxone is of potential clinical relevance. This is because (+)-naloxone is an antagonist that is inactive at the (-)-opioid selective receptors on neurons that produce analgesia. Thus, these data suggest that (+)-opioid antagonists such as (+)-naloxone may be useful clinically to suppress glial activation, yet (-)-opioid agonists suppress pain.
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Distinguishing signs of opioid overdose and indication for naloxone: an evaluation of six overdose training and naloxone distribution programs in the United States.
This study assessed overdose and naloxone administration knowledge among current or former opioid abusers trained and untrained in overdose-response in the United States. ⋯ Results suggest that naloxone training programs in the United States improve participants' ability to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses in the community. Drug users with overdose training and confidence in their abilities to respond may effectively prevent overdose mortality.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of combining ultralow-dose naloxone with morphine in intravenous patient-controlled analgesia: the cut-off ratio of naloxone to morphine for antiemesis after gynecologic surgery.
Admixing an ultralow dose of naloxone with intravenous morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been shown to decrease postoperative nausea. However, the cut-off ratio of the naloxone-morphine admixture for antiemetic effects has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cut-off ratio of naloxone-morphine admixture in PCA for antiemesis after gynecologic surgery. ⋯ The antiemetic efficacy of ultralow-dose naloxone combined with PCA morphine is limited by a cut-off ratio of naloxone to morphine of 1:10,000.