RAT ERYTHROCYTE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO LIPID-PEROXIDATION AFTER CHRONIC ETHANOL INTAKE

Erythrocytes, from 2- and 7-month-old rats chronically fed with a liqu id diet containing ethanol, were analyzed for their susceptibility to lipid peroxidation estimated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) products. In spite of a lower alcohol consumption, adult rats were the more affected by the ethanol treatment. Erythrocyte membrane s prepared from alcoholic animals were more sensitive to lipid peroxid ation than those prepared from control rats. In both age groups lipid analysis revealed similar changes: 1) an increased cholesterol/phospho lipid molar ratio mainly derived from a higher content of cholesterol that accounts for the lower membrane fluidity and the higher tolerance to the disordering effect exerted by ethanol in vitro; 2) an increase of phospholipid unsaturated fatty acids, especially C20:4; 3) a modif ication of the phospholipid pattern, characterized in the ethanol grou p by an increase of PE and decrease of PE and decrease of PC levels; m oreover, significant increases of the anionic phospholipids were detec ted in the adult group. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.