A therapeutic proposal: naloxone for hepatic encephalopathy

The therapeutic role of naloxone was examined in a pilot study of 23 patients with hepatic (portal-systemic) encephalopathy. The results indicate that endogenous opioids (endorphins, enkephalins) are involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. It is concluded that naloxone, a relatively pure opioid antagonist, may be an effective and well-tolerated drug for this particular pathology.