A hormone has been discovered which may be able to sober up drunk people in "half the time", scientists have said.
A new study conducted by academics at Southwestern University in Texas has found that a liver-produced hormone called FGF21 could help those intoxicated quickly regain consciousness and coordination.
Findings published in journal Cell Metabolism on Tuesday explained how a jab of FGF21 quickly reversed the physical effects of intoxication in mice that passed out from binge drinking levels of alcohol and helped them regain their composure.
Reports published on the back of the research say scientists hope the discovery will lead to effective treatments and drugs for acute alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning.
In 2020, the NHS reported around 280,000 UK hospital admissions were a result of alcohol related issues, a two per cent rise from 2019 figures and eight per cent higher than 2017.
Dr David Mangelsdorf, who co-led the study said: "Humans have long searched for agents that could reverse drunkenness, and now we have discovered something to achieve this effect that’s been in our bodies the whole time."
The most effective medical treatment that exists for alcohol poisoning is stomach pumping, a medical procedure that removes alcohol from a drunk person's stomach. Once this is done, all healthcare workers can do is monitor vital signs and breathing until all ethanol has left the bloodstream.
The study involved delivering alcohol to mice to emulate a binge drinking session in humans. Once all mice had passed out, half of them were injected with FGF21.
The animals that weren't given the hormone took about three hours to regain consciousness and stand up properly, while those given FGF21 were able to recover in about 90 minutes.
FGF21 was also found to act on brain cells that promote wakefulness. However, it did not have any effect on alcohol metabolism, meaning both groups of mice had the same blood alcohol levels.
The hormone appears to specifically affect alcohol intoxication as animals under the influence of other sedatives did not become more energetic after receiving it.
While the discovery is a huge step in the right direction for preventing and treating health problems related to alcohol poisoning, scientists have stressed that it is not a quick fix for a hard night out.
"We don’t want to send the signal that it’s ok to get drunk because a drug can undo it," Dr. Kliewer said. "But FGF21 may eventually be able to prevent some negative consequences for people incapacitated from alcohol."
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