Detection of Exogenous γ-Hydroxybutyric Acid in Rat Blood Exosomes / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To find a method to distinguish exogenous gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) from endogenous GHB by establishing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) based on exosome for quantitative detection of GHB in the rat blood.@*METHODS@#Adult male SD rats were divided into 1 h, 5 h, 10 h administration group and control group. After 1 h, 5 h and 10 h of single precursor of GHB gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) intraperitoneal injection in administration groups, 5 mL blood was collected from the abdominal aorta. Meanwhile, the control group was given a same dose of normal saline, and 5 mL blood was collected at 1 h. Among the 5 mL blood, 0.5 mL was directly detected by HPLC-MS after pretreatment, and exosomes were extracted from the remaining blood by differential centrifugation and detected.@*RESULTS@#The concentration of GHB in the control group was (87.36±33.48) ng/mL, and the concentration with administration at 1 h, 5 h and 10 h was (110 400.00±1 766.35) ng/mL, (1 479.00±687.01) ng/mL and (133.60±12.17) ng/mL, respectively. The results of exosome detection showed that no peak GHB signal was detected in the control group and the 10 h administration group, and the concentrations of GHB at 1 h and 5 h administration groups were (91.47±33.44) ng/mL and (49.43±7.05) ng/mL, respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#GHB was detected in blood exosome by UPLC-MS, which indicated that exogenous GHB could be detected in plasma exosomes, while endogenous GHB could not be detected, suggesting that this method may be used as a basis to determine whether there is exogenous drug intake.

Club drugs: review of the ‘rave’ with a note of concern for the Indian scenario.

'Club drugs’ which include Ecstasy, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), ketamine, and Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) have become popular with participants in ‘raves’, because they are perceived to enhance energy, endurance, sociability and sexual arousal. These drugs vary in their pharmacologic properties, physiological and psychological effects, and potential consequences. The use of club drugs by young people has increased in the last decade, and continue to get modified and evolve, making them very difficult to monitor. Further, these drugs are not picked up by routine drugs screening procedures, thereby making these popular with the criminals. India, which is in a phase of social transition, also faces this rising menace. Despite the nature and extent of this problem, this area has been under-researched. Data from India are sparse barring a few newspaper and police reports. Keeping abreast of current trends in club drug use prepares the clinician to recognize the clinical effects of club drug use, to manage club drug related emergencies, and to generate social awareness.

Experimental research of sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in gerbils / 中国药理学通报

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate (γ-OH) against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in gerbils and the neuroprotective mechanism of γ-OH. METHODS: The occlusion of bilateral carotid arteries of gerbil was used to make the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models. Different doses of γ-OH were administered intraperitoneally 40 min prior to the onset of ischemia. After 10 min ischemia and 1 h reperfusion, bilateral hippocampus, cortex and striatum were taken out to measure ATPase, SOD and MDA. RESULTS: The contents of MDA markedly elevated while Na+,K+ -ATPase, Ca2+ -ATPase and SOD activities decreased in hippocampus, cortex and striaturn 1 h after ischemia-reperfusion. γ-OH administered prior to ischemia can partly reverse the elevation of MDA contents and the reduction of SOD activities. γ-OH given after ischemia can still provide partly protective effect. CONCLUSION: γ-OH provides significant protective effect against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by protecting ATPase and SOD activities, deleting free radicals and reducing the lipid peroxidation.

Experimental research of sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in gerbils / 中国药理学通报

AIM To investigate the protective effect of sodium gamma-hydroxybutyrate (?-OH) against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in gerbils and the neuroprotective mechanism of ?-OH. METHODS The occlusion of bilateral carotid arteries of gerbil was used to make the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models. Different doses of ?-OH were administered intraperitoneally 40 min prior to the onset of ischemia. After 10 min ischemia and 1 h reperfusion, bilateral hippocampus, cortex and striatum were taken out to measure ATPase, SOD and MDA. RESULTS The contents of MDA markedly elevated while Na +,K +-ATPase, Ca 2+ -ATPase and SOD activities decreased in hippocampus, cortex and striatum 1 h after ischemia-reperfusion. ?-OH administered prior to ischemia can partly reverse the elevation of MDA contents and the reduction of SOD activities. ?-OH given after ischemia can still provide partly protective effect. CONCLUSION ?-OH provides significant protective effect against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by protecting ATPase and SOD activities, deleting free radicals and reducing the lipid peroxidation.