Enhanced ratio of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid in erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine in rats during withdrawal from ethanol.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pair-fed for 8 weeks either an alcohol diet or a control diet made isocaloric with dextrose. Those on the alcohol diet were then fed the control diet for 3 days and both groups were killed. Analysis of the fatty acid composition of the various blood lipids showed that the relative level of 18:2 to 20:4 was significantly greater in the phosphatidylcholine fraction from erythrocytes of rats withdrawn from alcohol as compared to that from control animals. It has been suggested that in alcohol-fed animals the hepatic capacity to produce 20:4 from 18:2 is reduced. Therefore the increase in the ratio of 18:2/20:4 in erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine could serve as an index to detect the liver malfunction and to confirm recent chronic alcohol consumption.
D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000097:blood*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood*
D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D000431:Ethanol