Effect of acute and chronic ethanol treatment on rat brain phospholipid turnover

Phospholipid turnover was studied in the rat brain after treatment in vitro with (1) an acute dose of ethanol, (2) after the development of tolerance to ethanol, (3) of physical dependence on ethanol, and (4) of withdrawal from dependence. It was found that the turnover of phosphatidylcholine, of phosphatidylinosotol/phosphatidylserine and of phosphatidylethanolamine was increased in tolerant animals and that tolerance developed to these increases in dependent animals. A drastic decrease in ³²P-labeled phosphatidylinositol/phosphatidylserine of microsomal fractions was observed in animals withdrawing from dependence.