title: Failure of gammahydroxy butyric acid to stimulate growth hormone secretion in cocaine addicts.
abstract: This study discusses the effect of gammahydroxy butyric acid (GHB) on growth hormone (GH) secretion changes in cocaine addicts. Ten male cocaine users and 10 normal controls were tested with a single oral administration of GHB at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight. Cocaine addicts were tested before and after 30 days of abstinence. All subjects underwent a control with a placebo. Basal GH levels were similar in normal controls and cocaine users and remained unmodified during the control test. In the normal control subjects, plasma GH levels rose significantly after the administration of GHB; in contrast, plasma GH concentrations failed to increase after GHB treatment in cocaine addicts. These data show that a chronic abuse of cocaine induces alterations of the GABAergic system which were unmasked by the absent GH response to GHB.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Alcohology, University of Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Vescovi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Gennaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid