title: 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.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007977:Levallorphan; D004399:Dynorphins