[Lipid composition of the brain in rats after prolonged hypokinesia]

An experiment was carried out with a total of twenty rats of the Wistar line, divided into two groups: one that was physiologically immobilized for 425 days, and one consisting of control animals. Both groups were held on a common premise under equal conditions--temperature, humidity, light, and ventilation. The locomotor activity of the test animals was lowered to a minimum level. It was established that under the conditions of continuous hypokinesia the total lipid content in the brain of rats rose by 29.2 per cent (P less than 0.01). The level of cholesterol rose too as against its level in the controls. However, the relative share of phospholipids essentially dropped with regard to the total lipids as the result of immobilization. It is stated that under these experimental conditions the higher level of lipids in the brain of the test animals pointed to changes in the metabolism of lipids, which had an impact on both their synthesis and utilization.