Abstract
1. 1. The changes in the free fatty acid composition in the brain during postdecapitation ischemia and after electroconvulsive shock are described. 2. 2. Prior fasting to assess the contribution of trapped blood in the brain did not alter the striking rise in free fatty acids. The enlargement of the total pool is mainly given by the production of arachidonic, stearic, oleic and palmitic acids. 3. 3. A rapid triglyceride breakdown occurs early in ischemia followed by a gradual levelling-off. The ischemia-induced lipolysis cannot account for more than 20% of the free fatty acids liberated. 4. 4. An almost 2-fold increase in the free fatty acid content of the brain occurs following an electroconvulsive shock. Arachidonic acid is liberated at faster rates than that of any other fatty acid. Even when a lipolytic activation also takes place, the major portion of the liberated free fatty acids arises from molecules other than triglycerides. 5. 5. The ratios between total saturated to total unsaturated fatty acids during ischemia and after electroshock suggest a predominance of the hydrolysis of the β-ester bond of phospholipids. 6. 6. It is suggested that a brain phospholipase A enzyme activation occurs under both the above experimental conditions and that such a mechanism may be important in maintaining the properties of nerve cell membranes.
Published Version
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