The effect of naloxone on some neuroendocrine responses to limb ischaemia.

The finding that naloxone reverses the arterial hypotension produced by bacterial endotoxin in the rat was confirmed and the effect of naloxone on the responses to another form of injury, limb ischaemia was studied. Naloxone had no effect on the fall in blood pressure and colon temperature or on behaviour and survival after bilateral hind-limb ischaemia. The ambient temperature threshold for the onset of shivering was depressed by limb ischaemia as in untreated rats. The increases in the plasma concentrations of glucose and corticosterone and the decrease in that of prolactin after limb ischaemia were unaltered by naloxone. In control rats naloxone reduced the ambient temperature threshold for the onset of shivering and the plasma prolactin concentration. It is concluded that the endogenous opioids do not play a very significant part in the responses to ischaemic limb trauma.