Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Pharmacology

Background and aim: Crohn's disease is a transmural, relapsing inflammatory condition afflicting the digestive tract. Opioid signaling was known to affect secretion and motility in the gut and may be implicated in the inflammatory cascade of Crohn's disease. Endogenous Opioid peptides modulate inflammatory cytokine production. Opioid antagonists have been shown to play a role in healing and repair of tissues. This work was designed to detect the possible beneficial effects of opioid antagonist naltrexone in indomethacin-induced enteritis in rats. Results: Induction of enteritis with indomethacin resulted in significant deterioration of DAI, significant elevation of the measured biochemical parameters and significant deterioration of pathological scores. Treatment with sulfasalazine, low dose of naltrexone, high dose of naltrexone as well as treatment with comination of salfasalazine and naltrexone in both used doses resulted in significant improvement of all measured parameters. Also Ach-induced contraction of isolated ileal segment showed significant decrease in the mean amplitude of contraction in the treated rats compared with untreated ones

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