THE CENTRAL ACTION OF GAMMA-BUTYROLACTONE AND GAMMA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE

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gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) and its hydrolysate, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) have been known to distribute physiologically in the brain (1). Since the description of central depressant effects and anesthesia- or sleep-like states induced by either drug [Rubin et al. (2), Benda et al. (3) and Laborit et al. (4)], they have been introduced clinically as hypnotics, adjuvants of anesthetics and so on. However, there have been some controversies as to whether the central effects induced by either drug could be properly termed as natural sleep or sedation. Winters et al. (5-7) have suggested that the central action of GHB is rather excitatory than inhibitory, because GHB causes catatonia-like or hallucinogenic state and even grand mal seizures by large doses in cats. The problems here are whether both GBL and GHB have excitatory central effects, and whether the effects depend on the species difference by which the central action varies. The comparison of behavioral effects of GBL and GHB among mice, rats and rabbits in the present experiments demontrated more central inhibitory nature of GBL than GHB as well as some signes of central excitement by both drugs. In addition, the possible mechanism of central excitement by GBL in rabbits was discussed electroencephalographically in relation to the similar effects of pentobarbital sodium and pentylenetetrazol.
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