前言：鴉片拮抗劑-naloxone被視為與腦缺血的生理病理進程有相關。而腦缺血的進程可能可以利用naloxone來改變。本研究利用放射免疫分析法來測量血中細胞激素IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α的濃度改變以評估naloxone對腦缺血的作用。
方法：本研究使用雄性之Sprague-Dawley大鼠。於股靜脈置入導管以便注射naloxone，股動脈置入導管以便抽血測量細胞激素。於大鼠單側中腦動脈及兩腦頸總動脈結紮後10分鐘注射naloxone。並且於手術前及手術後（注射naloxone前後）分別採血測量細胞激素的改變。
結果：結紮手術造成腦缺血後，血液中之細胞激素IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α明顯增加，但注射naloxone後這些細胞激素之血中濃度會明顯下降。
結論：根據吾人初步研究發現：注射naloxone會明顯降低由於腦缺血誘發增加的細胞激素血中濃度。至於腦缺血及naloxone給藥如何改變血中細胞激素的機制則需進一步的研究來確認。

Background: Opioid peptides are believed to be involved in the pathophyiological progression following cerebral ischemia. These effects were partially reversed by naloxone-an opiate peptide antagonist. To examine the possibility that naloxone may reduce brain damage induced by cerebral ischemia, the changes in the blood levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) will be measured.
Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats was used. Femoral vein was cannulated for drug administration and polyethylene catheters was inserted into the femoral artery for blood sampling of these cytokines. Naloxone was administered intravenously 10 min after the ligation of unilateral middle cerebral artery and bilateral common carotid arteries. We measured the blood levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-αof baseline, after cerebral ischemia without naloxone, and after cerebral ischemia with naloxone injection.
Results: IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-αsignificantly increased after cerebral ischemia, then significantly decreased after naloxone treatment.
Conclusion: In accordance with our preliminary results, an opiate peptide antagonist-naloxone can reverse the changes of blood levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α during cerebral ischemia. However, further study is needed to answer why cytokine change after cerebral ischemia and naloxone treatment.