Abstract
Recent studies have indicated that the free fatty acids (FFA) in brain are maintained in a dynamic equilibrium with the membrane phospholipids. Ethanol ingestion may alter this equilibrium as has been demonstrated for other stimulant or depressant stressors. Depending on the dosage and mode of administration, ethanol can be regarded either as a central nervous system depressant or stimulant. Acute administration of ethanol at 1.5 g/kg to rats did not affect brain FFA level, but administration at 6.0 g/kg resulted in a decrease in the FFA level. The decrease in brain FFA also correlated to the behavioral manifestation of ethanol as a CNS depressant, which effect lasted 2–4 h after ethanol administration. Among the fatty acids, arachidonic acid was especially suppressed, although stearic acid was also affected to a lesser extent. Chronic administration of ethanol (8 g/kg) to rats and to guinea pigs also resulted in a decrease in the FFA in brain, suggesting that there is an adaptive shift toward the establishment of a new equilibrium with a lower FFA level upon development of tolerance to ethanol.
Published Version
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