Effect of chronic ethanol administration on phospholipid acyl groups of synaptic plasma membrane fraction isolated from guinea pig brain.

Guinea pigs were induced chronic alcoholism with a liquid diet containing 5% (w/v) ethanol. There was no apparent change in acyl group composition in the myelin lipids; however, acyl group changes were observed in the phosphoglycerides of synaptic plasma membranes (SPM). In general, acyl group changes are related to a decrease in the proportion of monoenes in both choline and ethanolamine phosphoglycerides and an increase in polyenes (15%) in the ethanolamine phosphoglycerides. The changes observed may be associated to the increased membrane-dependent transport activities observed after chronic ethanol treatment.