Production of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in postmortem liver increases with time after death.
Gamma-hydroxybutyric (GHB) acid, which is becoming popular as a drug of abuse, was shown by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to increase in mouse liver with time after death. The amount detected was 0.8 +/- 1.0 microg/g at 3 h after death, 4.7 +/- 1.5 microg/g at 24 h, and 8.8 +/- 0.8 microg/g at 72 h. Furthermore, GHB was detected in samples from deceased persons, at concentrations of 2.6-12.0 microg/g in liver, 0.4-7.3 microg/ml in blood, and 0-2.6 microg/ml in urine, but was not detected in the blood and urine of living persons. Although 1,4-butanediol has been suggested to be a precursor of GHB produced after death, 1,4-butanediol was not detected in any of our samples. Additionally, succinate semialdehyde arising from gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transamination to GHB was also barely detectable in any of our samples. This study supports previous reports that GHB is a product of postmortem decomposition. Production of GHB increases with time after death in postmortem liver; since we were unable to identify endogenous 1,4-butanediol and succinate semialdehyde in our samples, the pathway of GHB production after death remains unclear.
Sakurada
Koichi
K
National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1, Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, 277-0880, Chiba-ken, Japan. sakurada@nrips.go.jp
Kobayashi
Masahiko
M
Iwase
Hirotaro
H
Yoshino
Mineo
M
Mukoyama
Harutaka
H
Takatori
Takehiko
T
Yoshida
Ken-ichi
K
D000818:Animals; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013997:Time Factors
D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; C111420:4-hydroxybutyric acid