Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) for the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence: A Review

Abstract

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a short-chain fatty acid structurally similar to the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid. Clinical trials have demonstrated that 50–100 mg/kg of GHB fractioned into three or six daily doses is able to suppress alcohol withdrawal symptoms and facilitates the maintenance of abstinence from alcohol. These studies have also shown that GHB craving episodes are a very limited phenomenon (about 10–15%). Thus, physicians with access should consider the clinical efficacy of GHB as a valid pharmacological tool for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

Novel Radioiodinated γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid Analogues for Radiolabeling and Photolinking of High-Affinity γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid Binding Sites

“…Because there is accumulating evidence that GHB plays an important role in the sleeping disorder narcolepsy (Robinson and Keating, 2007), and hypotheses have emerged about involvement of GHB in alcoholism (Caputo et al, 2009) and neurodegenerative disorders and depression (Mamelak, 2007(Mamelak, , 2009, we propose that suitably radiolabeled BnOPh-GHB derivatives could provide important tools in future in vivo positron emission tomography or single photon emission computed tomography imaging for the characterization of GHB binding sites, their distribution in the human brain, and the relevance for substance abuse and neurological disorders.…”

“…1). Clinically, the drug is used for treatment of narcolepsy (Robinson and Keating, 2007) or alcohol-withdrawal symptoms (Caputo et al, 2009), but it is also a popular recreational drug occasionally used as a "date rape drug" because of its euphoric, prosocial, relaxing, and sleep-inducing effects (Anderson et al, 2006;Drasbek et al, 2006).…”

Systemic Administration of γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid in Adolescent Rat Impairs Contextual Fear Conditioning, But Not Cued Conditioning

“…GHB, a metabolite and a structural analog of GABA, is found endogenously throughout the mammalian brain in micromolar concentrations [5,11,32]. GHB has been used therapeutically in the treatment of sleep disorders [19,29,60,64], and to treat alcoholism and alcohol-withdrawal symptoms [7]. Illicit use of GHB has been reported in humans [66].…”

Determination of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in dried blood spots using a simple GC-MS method with direct “on spot” derivatization

“…Although it has been abandoned as anaesthetic agent in most countries because of side effects such as seizures and coma, it is still registered in Germany (Somsanit®). The sodium salt of GHB, known under the international drug name sodium oxybate, has a role in the treatment of narcolepsy with cataplexy (Xyrem®) and of opiate and alcohol withdrawal (Alcover®) [7][8][9][10][11].…”