title: Lipids and fatty acids in membranes from astroglial cells cultured in ethanol-containing media.
abstract: A study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of a primary brain cell culture for the assessment of general membrane phenomena caused by ethanol. The major aim was to study the inertness versus vulnerability of membrane lipids for 8 days of ethanol exposure. Since brain cells in cultures could be more easily influenced by nutrition than in vivo, effects of varying levels of essential fatty acids in the medium were also studied. Astroglial cells from cerebral hemispheres of newborn rats had a fatty acid composition of major phospholipids resembling that of whole brain. Addition of essential fatty acids to the medium profoundly altered the composition of cell membranes, contrary to what is found in whole animal experiments. Ethanol, in graded levels up to 75 mmol/l and added daily up to 8 days, did not significantly change the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The ratio between neutral and acidic phospholipids diminished, which was more pronounced after 8 days of ethanol exposure than after 3 days. This study on ethanol exposure on glial cells focuses on the importance of nutritional composition of culture media and on the role of dynamics among phospholipid classes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010743:Phospholipids; D000431:Ethanol