Influence of an n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched diet on the development of tolerance during chronic ethanol administration in rats.
This study investigates the effects of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in the form of dietary Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) and safflower oil, on the development of tolerance to ethanol. The degree of fluorescence polarization of the fluoroprobes DPH, PROP-DPH, and TMA-DPH in isolated cortical synaptosomal membranes was measured. In addition, the development of tolerance, as shown by changes in synaptosomal membrane fluidity after an acute in vitro ethanol challenge, was also determined after 20 weeks of ethanol administration, either alone or together with a PUFA-enriched diet. Although the administration of EPO-enriched diet did not significantly render the inner core of the cortical synaptosomal membrane tolerant to the acute ethanol challenge, concomitant administration of ethanol and EPO was found to increase further the rigidity and tolerance to the acute ethanol challenge in the inner core. Chronic administration of safflower oil, which lacks gamma-linolenic acid (18:3, n-6) but like EPO contains linoleic acid, either alone or together with chronic ethanol had no effect on synaptosomal membrane fluidity after an acute ethanol challenge. The results suggest that gamma-linolenic acid or its metabolites may have an important role to play in the development of tolerance to chronic ethanol.
Meehan
E
E
Department of Pharmacology, University College, Galway, Ireland.
Beaugé
F
F
Choquart
D
D
Leonard
B E
BE
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000178:diet therapy*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010938:Plant Oils; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012450:Safflower Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D012450:Safflower Oil