Long-term administration of GHB does not affect muscular mass in alcoholics

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a drug recently utilized for alcoholism management. It has been shown that GHB has anabolic effects since it can in crease growth hormone (GH) release in healthy subjects. At present, there a re no studies investigating body composition in alcoholics during long-term GHB treatment. In this study body composition and GH secretion in alcohol dependent subjects was evaluated during addiction and at different time of GHB administration and alcohol abstinence. A total of 45 male alcohol depen dent patients (mean age 39.7+/-9.8 yrs, mean height: 171+/-6.8 cm, body mas s index -BMI- 22.1+/-1.6 kg/m(2)) were consecutively enrolled. Body composi tion was assessed by anthropometry, bioimpedance analysis and tritiated wat er method. A 7-day food diary was collected. Plasma GH levels were determin ed by radioimmunoassay. A 6-month total abstinence was obtained in 22 patie nts, by means of psychological support counseling and self-help groups in 9 subjects and also by 50 mg/kg/day of GHB in 13 subjects. At 1, 2, 3 and 6 months of abstinence, the biochemical assessment and metabolic variables we re re-examined. Fat-free mass (FFM) and basal GH secretion were similar at the different times of follow-up in both groups of patients. GHB treated pa tients and those receiving psychological support alone showed similar value s in FFM and GH. Both groups of patients did not differ in FFM and plasma G H level from healthy controls at any of the times evaluated. Waist-to-hip r atio did not differ between patient groups, while higher values were shown in alcoholics with respect to control subjects. The present study shows tha t long-term administration of GHB did not affect muscular mass and did not determine an increase of GH release in chronic alcoholics. This findings co uld be due to an impairment of the hypothalamic-limbic system and of GABAer gic neurotransmission in alcoholics' brain. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.