The effect of sodium γ‐hydroxybutyrate on the metabolism of dopamine in the brain

Abstract

1 Sodium gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB-Na), when given to rats and mice, caused a sleep-like state and a fall in body temperature of about 10° C. 2 GHB-Na produced a dose-dependent increase in the concentration of dopamine (DA) in the brains of mice kept at an environmental temperature of 18–20° C or 30–32° C. 3 The concentrations of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid (HVA), the metabolites of DA, were increased in the striatal tissues of rats and mice, after the administration of GHB-Na. However there was a delay of 60 min before the concentration of HVA increased whereas there appeared to be little delay before the concentration of DOPAC increased. 4 When GHB-Na was administered to reserpine-treated animals, no increase occurred in the concentration of dopamine in the brains of mice or rats, or of DOPAC in the rat brain. 5 Reserpine did not prevent the induction of the sleep-like state by GHB-Na. 6 The results presented suggest that the effect of GHB-Na in increasing the concentration of DA requires unimpaired storage mechanisms for the amine.