Effects of naloxone on carotid body chemoreception and ventilation in the cat

The effects of intravenous injection of naloxone (0.4 mg.kg-1), an opiate antagonist, on the responses of carotid body chemoreceptor discharge and ventilation to steady-state levels of hypoxia and hypercapnia were investigated in 12 anesthesized cats. After naloxone, carotid chemoreceptor response to hypoxia (PaO2 60--30 Torr) was enhanced, a finding that suggested that the endogenous enkephalin-like peptide present in the carotid body inhibits carotid chemoreceptors. This reasoning is supported by the observation that close intra-arterial injection of met-enkephalin inhibits carotid chemoreceptors and that the effect is blocked by naloxone. After naloxone, ventilation was stimulated even in the absence of a significant stimulation of carotid chemoreceptors during hyperoxia, indicating that ventilation is normally suppressed by endogenous opiates in the central nervous system, an effect disinhibited by naloxone. Also, the ventilatory effect of the peripheral chemoreceptor input was augmented after naloxone.