Effect of chronic ethanol treatment and subsequent ischaemia on phospholipids and cholesterol in the rabbit spinal cord.

Rabbits received ethanol p.o. (0.96 g. ml-1, 2.88 g.kg-1) for 30 days. Ischaemia was induced by abdominal aorta ligation for 40 min in animals with or without ethanol treatment. The content of total (TPL) and individual phospholipids, i.e. ethanolamine (PE), choline (PC), serine (PS), phospholipids and sphingomyelin (SM), as well as unesterified cholesterol (UC) was determined in the gracilis fascicle (Fg), and the dorsal (Dp) and ventral (Vp) part of the lumbar and cervical spinal cord. Chronic ethanol treatment resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the PE content in Dp of cervical spinal cord. Cholesterol content was increased in all parts of the spinal cord studied (increased UC/TPL molar ratio). Ischaemia of the spinal cord induced a significant decrease in PI. In ethanolic animals ischaemia decreased the PS content in Dp and Vp of ischaemized lumbar spinal cord. The combined effect of ischaemia and chronic ethanol did not result in a cumulative pattern of changes suggesting a partially opposite influence of both stimuli on lipid metabolism as well as its altered regulation after chronic ethanol treatment in the spinal cord.