MARKED DECREASE OF PLASMA NEUROACTIVE STEROIDS DURING ALCOHOL-WITHDRAWAL

The neuroactive steroids allopregnanolone (ALLO) and allotetrahydrodeo xycorticosterone (THDOC) are the most potent endogenous positive modul ators of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on GABA(A) receptors, a recept or system presumably responsible for some behavioral responses to alco hol withdrawal. In a group of nine alcoholic subjects, the levels of p lasma ALLO and THDOC were markedly lower than those of control subject s during the early withdrawal phase (day 4 and 5), when anxiety and de pression scores were higher. In contrast ALLO and THDOC plasma levels did not differ from those of control subjects during the late withdraw al phase when anxiety and depression scores were low. These results su ggest that the decrease of neuroactive steroid biosynthesis may contri bute to the withdrawal symptoms.