The effect of an opiate receptor antagonist on the ileal brake mechanism in the rat.

Studies investigated the effect of the opiate antagonist naloxone (10 mg/kg) on stomach to caecum transit (SCTT) during ileal infusion of saline or Intralipid. SCTT of the head of the meal was measured by hydrogen analysis and meal distribution by the radiolabelled meal technique. Intralipid delayed SCTT by delaying both gastric emptying (p < 0.01) and small bowel transit. Naloxone did not affect SCTT during ileal saline infusion, but produced a distal shift (p < 0.05) in the geometric centre of the meal and increased radioactivity in the caecum (p < 0.001) 100 min after gavage. Naloxone abolished the delayed SCTT of the meal induced by ileal lipid infusion, with an associated increase in radioactivity in the caecum at 200 min (p < 0.01), although the geometric centre was shifted proximally within the intestine (p < 0.01). The results suggest that the ileal brake is mediated in part by endogenous opiate pathways.