title: Sensitivity of individual erythrocyte membrane phospholipids to changes in fatty acid composition in chronic alcoholic patients.
abstract: The erythrocyte membrane levels of total phospholipids and cholesterol and the fatty acid composition of individual groups of phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine plus phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylcholine) were studied in 10 patients admitted for ethanol detoxification and in 14 control subjects. The fatty acid composition of the patient phospholipids was modified but the level of cholesterol and the level of phospholipids remained unchanged. The fatty acid changes were mainly confined to phosphatidylcholine. The modifications concerned the levels of the octadecenoic acids (18:1) which rose (p less than 0.01), and linoleic acid (18:2) which fell (p less than 0.05). These results suggest that chronic ethanol ingestion may perturb the cell membrane organization with, in consequence, possible effects on cell morphology and functions.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000032:analysis*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D009829:Oleic Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010743:Phospholipids; D002784:Cholesterol