Effects of metkephamid (LY127623), a selective delta opioid receptor agonist, on gastric function.

Metkephamid, a delta opioid receptor agonist, blocked cold-restraint stress ulcers, reduced absolute ethanol-induced gastric ulcers and, at the lowest and highest doses examined, reduced basal gastric acid secretion in conscious rats, all to a significant degree. The dose effects on stress ulcer formation parallel those seen against maximal electroshock seizures and suggest that both central as well as peripheral delta opioid receptors mediate gastrointestinal responses to stress.