Skip to main content
Log in

Changes in cortical synaptosomal plasma membrane fluidity and composition in ethanol-dependent rats

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Synaptosomal plasma membranes (SPM) were examined from the following four groups of rats: controls; rats acutely treated with single doses of ethanol; a prodromaldetoxication group (dependent-intoxicated); rats undergoing overt ethanol-withdrawal syndrome. Estimates of the apparent microviscosity of SPM over a range of temperatures indicated that temperature-induced changes in SPM fluidity were smaller during the prodromal detoxication phase. The cholesterol: phospholipid molar ratio significantly increased in SPM from the prodromal-phase rats, but to a lesser extent in rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal syndrome. The fatty acid content of SPM phospholipids was not significantly changed in any of the treatment groups. Addition of cholesterol in vitro to control membranes altered the apparent microviscosity similarly to the changes found in SPM of ethanol-dependent rats. These studies suggest that physical dependence upon ethanol may be related to changes in synaptosomal membrane composition and viscosity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bligh EG, Dyer WJ (1959) A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol 37:911–917

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen RF (1968) Fluorescent protein-dye conjugates. 1. Heterogeneity of sites on serum albumin labeled by dansyl chloride. Arch Biochem Biophys 128:163–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin JH, Goldstein DB (1977) Drug tolerance in biomembranes: A spin-label study of the effects of ethanol. Science 196:684–685

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin JH, Parsons LM, Goldstein DD (1978) Increased cholesterol content of erythrocyte and brain membranes in ethanol-tolerant mice. Biochim Biophys Acta 513:358–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Crews FT, Camacho A, Phillips I, Willink ECT, Calderini G, Hirata F, Axelrod J (1982) Effects of membrane fluidity on mast cell and nerve cell function. In: Horrocks LA, Ansell G, Porcellati G (eds) Proceeding on Conference on phospholipids metabolism in the nervous system. Raven, New York, pp 21–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Crews FT, Camacho A, Phillips MI (1983) Cholinergic stimulation of hippocampal pyramidal cells is inhibited by increasing membrane cholesterol. Brain Res 261:155–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans WH (1978) Preparation and characterisation of mammalian plasma membranes. North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 107–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Farias RN, Bloj B, Morero R, Sineriz F, Trucco R (1975) Regulation of allosteric membrane-bound enzymes through changes in membrane lipid composition. Biochim Biophys Acta 415:231–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein DB (1974) Rates of onset and decay of alcohol physical dependence in mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 190:377–383

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt WA (1975) The effects of aliphatic alcohols on the biophysical and biochemical correlates of membrane function. In: Majchrowicz E (ed) Biochemical pharmacology of ethanol. Plenum Press, New York, pp 195–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt WA, Majchrowicz E (1980) Suppression of the ethanol-withdrawal syndrome by aliphatic diols. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 213:9–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson RL (1977) Current views on the organization of lipids and proteins in plasma membranes in receptors and hormone action. Academic, New York, pp 411–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson DA, Friedman HJ, Cooke R, Lee NM (1980) Adaptation of brain lipid bilayers to ethanol-induced fluidization. Biochem Pharmacol 29:1673–1676

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson DA, Lee NM, Cooke R, Loh HH (1979) Ethanol-induced fluidization of brain lipid bilayers: Required presence of cholesterol in membranes for the expression of tolerance. Mol Pharmacol 15:739–746

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones DH, Matus AI (1974) Isolation of synaptic plasma membrane from brain by combined flotation-sedimentation density-gradient centrifugation. Biochim Biophys Acta 356:276–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Kates M (1972) Techniques of lipidology. North Holland, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • LeBlanc AF, Kalant H, Gibbins RJ, Berman ND (1969) Acquisition and loss of tolerance to ethanol by the rat. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 168:244–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee NM, Friedman HJ, Loh HH (1980) Effect of acute and chronic ethanol treatment on rat brain phospholipid turnover. Biochem Pharmacol 29:2815–2818

    Google Scholar 

  • Littleton JM (1977) Synaptosomal membrane lipids of mice during continuous exposure to ethanol. J Pharm Pharmacol 29:579–580

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyon R, Goldstein DB (1983) Changes in synaptic membrane order associated with chronic ethanol treatment in mice. Mol Pharmacol 23:86–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyon R, McComb JA, Schreurs J, Goldstein DB (1981) A relationship between alcohol intoxication and the disordering of brain membranes by a series of short-chain alcohols. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 218:669–675

    Google Scholar 

  • Majchrowicz E (1975) Induction of physical dependence upon ethanol and the associated behavioral changes in rats. Psychopharmacologia 43:245–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Majchrowicz E (1981) Reversal in central nervous system function during ethanol withdrawal in humans and experimental animals. Fed Proc 40:2065–2072

    Google Scholar 

  • Majchrowicz E, Hunt WA (1976) Temporal relationship in the induction of tolerance and physical dependence after continuous intoxication with maximum tolerable doses of ethanol in rats. Psychopharmacology 50:107–112

    Google Scholar 

  • McComb JA, Goldstein DB (1979) Additive physical dependence: Evidence for a common mechanism of alcohol dependence. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 210:87–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Melchior DL, Stein JM (1976) Thermotropic transitions in biomembranes. Annu Rev Biophys Bioeng 5:205–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Rottenberg H, Waring A, Rubin E (1981) Tolerance and cross-tolerance in chronic alcoholics: Reduced membrane binding of ethanol and other drugs. Science 213:583–585

    Google Scholar 

  • Rouser G, Fleischer S, Yamamoto A (1970) Two-dimensional thin-layer chromatographic separation of polar lipids and determination of phospholipids by phosphorus analysis of spots. Lipids 5:494–497

    Google Scholar 

  • Seeman P (1972) The membrane actions of anesthetics and tranquilizers. Pharmacol Rev 24:583–655

    Google Scholar 

  • Shinitzky M, Inbar M (1976) Microviscosity parameters and protein mobility in biological membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta 433:133–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Shinitzky M, Barenholz Y (1978) Fluidity parameters of lipid regions determined by fluorescence polarization. Biochim Biophys Acta 515:367–394

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens CL, Shinitzky M (1977) Modulation of electrical activity in Aplysia neurons by cholesterol. Nature 170:267–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber G (1976) Polarisation of the fluorescence of solutions. In: Hercules DM (ed) Fluorescence and phosphorescence analysis: Principles and applications. Interscience, New York, pp 217–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Zlatkis A, Zak B, Boyle AJ (1952) A new method for the direct determination of serum cholesterol. J Lab Clin Med 41:486–492

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Crews, F.T., Majchrowicz, E. & Meeks, R. Changes in cortical synaptosomal plasma membrane fluidity and composition in ethanol-dependent rats. Psychopharmacology 81, 208–213 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427263

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427263

Key words

Navigation