Drosophila metabolize 1,4-butanediol into γ-hydroxybutyric acid in vivo

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology Vol. 473; no. 2-3; pp. 149 - 152
• Main Authors: Satta, Rosalba, Dimitrijevic, Nikola, Manev, Hari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 25-07-2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Butylene Glycols - metabolism; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Fruit fly; GABA (γ-aminoybutyric acid); Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; GHB (γ-hydroxybutyric acid); Male; Medical sciences; Sodium Oxybate - metabolism; Time Factors; Fruit fly; GHB (γ-hydroxybutyric acid); Behavior; GABA (γ-aminoybutyric acid)
• ISSN: 0014-2999; 1879-0712
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-2999(03)01993-9

A solvent, 1,4-butanediol, is also abused as a recreational drug. In mammals, 1,4-butanediol is metabolized into γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), which stimulates metabotropic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) GABAB and putative GHB receptors. Here we show that in vivo injection of 1,4-butanediol into adult Drosophila leads to GHB synthesis (GHB was detectable 5 min after 1,4-butanediol injection and increased dramatically 1–2 h later). This synthesis of GHB was accompanied by an impairment of locomotor activity that was mimicked by a direct injection of GHB into flies. We propose Drosophila as a model to study the molecular actions of 1,4-butanediol and GHB.