The partial mu opiate agonist buprenorphine protects a sub-population of thalamic reticular neurons following cardiac arrest in rats.

Extensive loss of neurons occurs from the middle region of the thalamic reticular nucleus (RT) in rats resuscitated after 10 min of cardiac arrest. Administration of the partial mu opiate agonist buprenorphine 45 min after resuscitation produces a small but significant increase in spared neurons along the medial and lateral margins of the middle RT, regions where mu receptors have been localized. Systemic administration of mu agonists may augment endogenous opiate mechanisms that contribute to the relative ischemic resistance of subpopulations of RT neurons.