Levallorphan and dynorphin improve motor dysfunction in Mongolian gerbils with unilateral carotid occlusion: the first application of the inclined plane method in the experimental cerebral ischemia.
Levallorphan and dynorphin were effective on the motor dysfunction in the gerbil model of unilateral cerebral ischemia. The effect of opioids, levallorphan (mixed agonist-antagonist), dynorphin (kappa-receptor agonist) and naloxone (mu-receptor antagonist), on neurological impairment was evaluated using the unilateral cerebral ischemia model of gerbil. Motor function was evaluated quantitatively by using the inclined plane method. Both levallorphan-treated group and dynorphin-treated group showed a significant improvement of the motor dysfunction compared with saline-control group. On the other hand, naloxone-treated group did not differ from saline-control group. The beneficial effect of these opioids on motor dysfunction might be mediated by the kappa-opioid receptor. This study also showed the potential usefulness of the inclined plane method for the investigation on the cerebral ischemia.
D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D007977:Levallorphan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
D007977:Levallorphan; D004399:Dynorphins