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Acidic phospholipids in synaptosomal plasma membranes during repeated episodes of physical ethanol dependence in the
J Ulrichsen1, L Gustavsson, C Alling
1Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract:
The effects of repeated episodes of ethanol intoxication and the hyperexcitable state of withdrawal on the synaptosomal concentration of acidic phospholipids were studied in rats. There was no indication that cumulative changes in the synaptosomal acidic phospholipid composition in general occurred during multiple episodes of ethanol intoxication and withdrawal. There was, however, a statistically significant decrease in acidic phospholipid concentration (phosphatidylinositol; PI) in synaptosomal membranes from animals revealing spontaneous convulsive behaviour during ethanol withdrawal. Hypothetically this may reflect an inability to increase acidic phospholipid membrane content and thus to adaptively increase the seizure threshold during withdrawal.