Dential unit for 1 month. Sessions were carried out Monday by means of Friday. Measures were taken just before, and repeatedly as much as 24 hours just after drug administration. Participants had been administered GHB (1, 2, four, 6, eight, and 10 g/70kg), ethanol (12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 g/70kg), or placebo within a doubleblind, withinsubjects style. For security, GHB and ethanol have been administered in an ascending dose sequence, with placebos and each drugs intermixed across sessions. The sequence for every single drug was stopped if important impairment or intolerable effects occurred. Only 9 and ten participants received the full dose range for GHB and ethanol, respectively. The highest doses of GHB and ethanol showed onset inside 30 minutes, with peak effects at 60 minutes. GHB effects dissipated involving 4 and 6 hours, while ethanol effects dissipated involving 6 and eight hours. Doserelated effects were observed for both drugs on many different measures assessing sedative drug effects, abuse liability, efficiency impairment, and physiological effects.1-(3-Hydroxypyridin-4-yl)ethanone Chemscene Withinsession measures of abuse liability were equivalent between the two drugs. On the other hand, postsession measures of abuse liability, including a direct preference test between the highest tolerated doses of every single drug, recommended somewhat greater abuse liability for GHB, due most likely for the delayed aversive ethanol effects (e.g., headache).Search phrases Gammahydroxybutyric acid; GHB; sodium oxybate; ethanol; alcoholCorresponding Author: Matthew W.165617-59-4 structure Johnson, Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University College of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 212246823, mwj@jhu.PMID:23381601 edu, Tel: 4105500056, Fax: 4105500030. Other authors: Roland R. Griffiths, Behavioral Pharmacology Analysis Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University College of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 212246823, [email protected], Tel: 4105500034, Fax: 4105500030 Contributors Drs. Johnson and Griffiths made the study and wrote the protocol and contributed to interpretation of outcomes. Dr. Johnson conducted experimental sessions and performed statistical analyses from the data. Dr. Johnson wrote the very first draft from the manuscript. Both authors contributed to and have authorized the final manuscript. Conflict of interest Matthew Johnson has consulted for Eli Lilly on troubles associated with drug abuse liability. During the past 3 years, on concerns related to drug abuse liability, Roland Griffiths has been a consultant to or has received contracts or grants from: Alexza Pharmaceuticals, BristolMyers Squibb, HoffmanLa Roche Inc., Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc., Merck Co, SanofiAventis, Transcept Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Vanda Pharmaceuticals.Johnson and GriffithsPageGammahydroxybutyric acid (GHB; sodium oxybate) is often a naturally occurring, biologically active metabolite with the neurotransmitter gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA), with low affinity and efficacy for GABAB receptors (Lingenhoehl et al., 1999; Mathivet, Bernasconi, De Barry, Marescaux, Bittiger, 1997) and high affinity for the GHB receptor (Hechler, Gobaille, Maitre, 1992). GHB is presently marketed inside the U.S. for the remedy of cataplexy related with narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness related with narcolepsy. Also, GHB has been used as a recreational drug. GHB use has been linked with emergency department visits, with more than 1,000 per year for the years 2004 2009 (Substance Abuse an.