Abstract
Extracts of fetal (20 days gestation) brain, heart, and liver were evaluated for naltrexone in rats 1 hour following maternal injection of 50 mg/kg opioid antagonist; adult plasma from the pregnant rats was analyzed. Samples were prepared by ultrafiltration, lyophilized, reconstituted in mobile phase, and separated by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. This qualitative analysis revealed the presence of naltrexone in all fetal tissues, as well as in adult plasma. These results indicate naltrexone, maternally administered, passes through the placenta and enters the fetus. The data would suggest that reports concerning somatic and neurobiological acceleration in offspring exposed to naltrexone during gestation may be the result of a direct opioid antagonist action in the fetus.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1261-1267 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Life Sciences |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 22 1997 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics(all)