TABLE 4.
Effect of ethanol and pretreatment with specific receptor antagonists on GHB-induced respiratory depression
Dashes indicate that no significant changes in any respiratory parameters were determined compared with baseline with pretreatment of SCH50911. Ethanol was administered as a 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg i.v. bolus, followed by a 1.85 mg/min infusion. We administered 600 mg/kg GHB i.v. 60 minutes after ethanol bolus administration. One-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s post hoc test was used to determine statistically significant differences in mean toxicodynamic parameters between groups. Data are presented as the mean ± S.D. (n = 3–5).
| Toxicodynamic Parameter | GHB | GHB + 0.1–0.2% Ethanol | GHB + 0.3–0.4% Ethanol | GHB + 0.3–0.4% Ethanol + Bicuculline | GHB + 0.3–0.4% Ethanol + SCH50911 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency ABEC (breaths) | 5540 ± 1000 | 4090 ± 1300 | 5440 ± 2100 | 5430 ± 1500 | —— |
| Frequency Emax (breaths/min) | 31 ± 5 | 38 ± 6 | 39 ± 11 | 45 ± 7 | —— |
| Tidal volume ABEC (ml/breath*min) | 207 ± 56 | 132 ± 49a | 119 ± 32a | 123 ± 11a | —— |
| Tidal volume Emax (ml) | 3.63 ± 0.69 | 2.65 ± 0.31a | 2.60 ± 0.38a | 2.60 ± 0.36a | —— |
| Minute volume Emax (ml/min) | 81 ± 16 | 64 ± 11 | 69 ± 23 | 65 ± 5 | —— |
a
Significantly different from GHB alone (P < 0.05).