Naloxone in experimental spinal cord ischemia: dose-response studies.

Temporary aortic occlusion produces a consistent degree of spinal cord injury in the unanesthetized rabbit. This 'spinal stroke' model was utilized to examine the potential therapeutic effects of the opiate antagonist naloxone in central nervous system ischemia. Naloxone treatment resulted in dose-related enhancement of motor recovery; greatest functional recovery was observed in rabbits treated with a dose of 2 mg/kg per h. This dose compares well with the high doses of naloxone shown to have a beneficial effect in other experimental models of stroke and spinal injury. In contrast, clinical stroke studies, which have been largely unsuccessful, have utilized naloxone doses which are several orders of magnitude lower than those successfully employed in experimental models.