The effects of chronic administration of ethanol on synaptosomal fatty acid composition: modulation by oil enriched with gamma-linolenic acid.

Chronic ethanol administration significantly decreased the percentage of arachidonate and significantly increased the linoleate: arachidonate ratio in the cortical synaptosomal phosphatidylinositol (PI) of rats. However, concomitant administration of evening primrose oil (rich in gamma-linolenic acid) reversed the effects seen with ethanol alone. These results suggest that the decrease of arachidonate, especially in PI, caused by chronic administration of ethanol may be overcome by systemic administration of gamma-linolenic acid.