Alterations in brain lipid composition of mice made physically dependent to ethanol

The ability of chronic ethanol treatment to alter CNS membrane lipids was tested. Adult C57/BL6 mice were given a liquid diet containing ethanol for eight days. This regimen produced strong physical dependence as judged by withdrawal seizures, tremors and concomitant hypothermia. Analyses were performed on cholesterol, total phospholipid content and total phospholipid acyl composition of myelin, crude (P2), light and heavy synaptosomes as well as synaptosomal plasma membranes. Chronic ethanol treatment had no effect on total phospholipid levels nor phospholipid acyl composition in any of the above subcellular fractions. In ethanol dependent mice, significant increases in cholesterol content and cholesterol/phospholipid ratios were observed in synaptosomal plasma membranes.