effect of opiates [morphine] and opiate antagonists [naloxone] on gastric mucosal injury produced by ethanol

ABSTRACT

In this study morphine alone did not affect the gastric mucosa. Moreover, it was found to have a protective effect on the gastric mucosa against the injurious effect of ethanol. Naloxone alone did not affect the gastric mucosa it has a slight protective effect when combined to ethanol 50%. When naloxone was combined with morphine and ethanol 50%, naloxone did not antagonize the local protective effect of morphine. Instead, it improved this effect. Therefore, morphine can be used safely as an analgesic in traumatized and post surgical patients who are at great risk of stress-ulcers