Antagonism of acute alcohol intoxication by naloxone.

We have previously shown that proprietary naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan) reverses the disturbance of the redox states of the hepatic NAD(P) couples and causes a simultaneous lowering of blood-ethanol concentration in acutely-ethanol-intoxicated rats. We now confirm these findings by using pure naloxone hydrochloride and demonstrate the inability of the methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate preservative present in the Narcan ampoules to influence the above effects of ethanol.