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Endogenous Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate in Postmortem Samples.

Helen H Ha^1,2, Dani C Mata¹, Jay R Vargas²

¹Toxicology Department, Orange County Crime Laboratory, 320 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703, USA.

Journal of Analytical Toxicology

|November 29, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

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Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is naturally produced in the body. This study found GHB in postmortem samples, highlighting the need for multi-matrix analysis to differentiate natural production from drug abuse.

Area of Science:

Forensic Toxicology
Neurochemistry

Background:

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an endogenous molecule and a metabolite of GABA.
Illicit manufacturing and abuse of GHB are global concerns, complicating postmortem interpretation due to its natural presence.
Distinguishing exogenous GHB exposure from endogenous production in postmortem cases is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the prevalence of endogenous GHB concentrations in postmortem toxicology samples.
To identify reliable secondary biological matrices for confirming or excluding exogenous GHB exposure.
To assess the utility of various matrices in differentiating GHB sources.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 348 postmortem heart blood samples for GHB using liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

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Quantification of GHB using GHB-d6 as an internal standard.

Examination of GHB levels in secondary matrices (peripheral blood, urine, vitreous humor, liver, and brain homogenates) from positive cases.

Main Results:

39 out of 348 cases (11.2%) showed positive GHB detection, with a median concentration of 22.45 mg/L.
None of the positive cases had documented suspected GHB ingestion or usage.
GHB levels in peripheral blood mirrored heart blood, liver homogenate levels varied, and GHB was not quantifiable in vitreous humor or brain homogenate.

Conclusions:

Multi-matrix analysis is crucial for accurate interpretation of GHB in postmortem toxicology.
Vitreous humor and brain tissue are valuable matrices for distinguishing exogenous GHB exposure from endogenous production.
The study underscores the complexity of GHB interpretation in postmortem analysis.