REWARDING PROPERTIES OF GAMMA-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID - AN EVALUATION THROUGH PLACE PREFERENCE PARADIGM

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), a putative neurotransmitter or neurom odulator found in the mammalian brain, has been successfully used in c linical practice to alleviate both alcohol and opiate withdrawal sympt oms. In the present study we used a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm to investigate whether GHB possesses rewarding properties in rats. In order to exclude possible artifacts due to experimental desi gn, we evaluated the possibility of a shift in preference when rats ar e conditioned either on their non-preferred side or on a randomly assi gned side of conditioning. In both experiments GHB was seen to induce CPP. Although to date the physiological role of this compound still re mains unclear, there is no doubt that GHB, further to its proven effec t on alcohol and opiates, possesses rewarding properties of its own. T he abuse liability afforded by this drug suggests the use of particula r caution in handling GHB as a clinically useful drug.