Lipids of the oligodendroglial fraction in methylnitrosourea induced encephalopathy

The investigations were performed on oligodendroglial cells isolated from the cerebral white matter of Wistar rats treated intravenously with a 3% solution of MNU at a dose of 60 mg/kg body weight. The oligodendroglial fraction showed a decrease of the sphingomyelin, phosphatidylserine and phosphoinositides content. The observed changes correlated with alterations of the lipid spectrum found in the myelin fraction of MNU intoxicated rats. This would indicate that MNU acting in the central nervous system affects in a similar way the lipid metabolism of both components of the oligodendroglia-myelin system.