Reduced palmitate turnover in brain phospholipids of pentobarbital-anesthetized rats

Our laboratory has reported that pentobarbital-induced anesthesia reduced the incorporation of intravenously injected radiolabeled palmitic acid into brain phospholipids. To determine if this decrease reflected a pentobarbital-induced decrease in palmitate turnover in phospholipids, we applied our method and model to study net flux and turnover of palmitate in brain phospholipids (1). Awake, light and deep pentobarbital (25-70 mg/kg, iv) anesthetized rats were infused with [9,10-3H]palmitate over a 5 min period. Brain electrical activity was monitored by electroencephalography. An isoelectric electroencephalogram characterized deep pentobarbital anesthesia. Net incorporation rates (J(FA,i)) and turnover rates (Fi) of palmitate were calculated. J(FA,i) for palmitate incorporated into phospholipids was dramatically reduced by pentobarbital treatment in a dose-dependent manner, by 70% and 90% respectively for lightly and deeply anesthetized animals, compared with awake controls. Turnover rates for palmitate in total phospholipid and individual phospholipid classes were decreased by nearly 70% and 90% for lightly and deeply anesthetized animals, respectively. Thus, pentobarbital decreases, in a dose-dependent manner, the turnover of palmitate in brain phospholipids. This suggests that palmitate turnover is closely coupled to brain functional activity.