ABSTRACT
In the central nervous system (CNS) γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a metabolite of γaminobutyric acid (GABA), the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter (Bessman and Fishbein 1963; Roth and Giarman 1968). Although GABA is present in brain at millimolar concentrations, GHB is found only in the lower micromolar range (Ehrhardt et al. 1988). It has been well documented that administration of relatively high doses of GHB to animals produces a hypnotic state (White and Samson 1956; Laborit 1964). Indeed, in humans GHB has been used as an induction agent in general anesthesia (Vickers 1969). GHB has been reported to exert a euphoric effect, and probably as a result of this it has developed a reputation as a drug of abuse (Ropero-Miller and Goldberger 1998). Many of the actions of GHB are consistent with it being a CNS depressant, although it also possesses seizure-type properties, especially those resembling petit mal epilepsy (Winters and Spooner 1965; Godschalk et al. 1977).
