Pharmacological characterization of the opioid inactive isomers (+)‐naltrexone and (+)‐naloxone as antagonists of toll‐like receptor 4

Abstract

(+)-Naltrexone and (+)-naloxone were TRIF-IFN regulatory factor 3 axis-biased TLR4 antagonists. They blocked TLR4 downstream signalling leading to NO, TNF-α and reactive oxygen species. This pattern may explain, at least in part, the in vivo therapeutic effects of (+)-naltrexone and (+)-naloxone.