Naloxone: new therapeutic roles.

The narcotic antagonist naloxene, the n-allyl derivative of oxynlorphone, is used widely by anaesthetists to reverse opiate-induced respiratory depression, However, the discovery that there are endogenous opiate-like substances in the central nervous system and other tissues, and that they are involved in regulation of general physiological phenomena, has raised the possibility that naloxone may have wider therapeutic uses. Possible uses include the treatment of septic and hypovolemic shock, spinal cord injury, stroke, respiratory depression, drug overdose, and a number nf other disease states ranging from the hypothalamic syndrome to chronic constipation. In addition, naloxone-induced reversal of the hypotensive and analgesic effects of various anaesthetics demonstrated by some investigators suggests that certain endogenous opiates may be released during anaesthesia. The potential use of naloxone in the above conditions raises the possibility that the endogenous opiates may be involved in physiological mechanisms other than pain. A general review which highlights the potential use of naloxone in several disorders is presented.