Alterations of rat liver phospholipid composition induced by oral thalidomide

In an attempt to elucidate the effects of oral thalidomide on liver phospho lipid composition, doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg/day of thalidomide were orally ad ministered to two groups of female Wistar rats (7 animals each), respective ly, over a period of 60 days, Control animals (n = 7) received correspondin g quantities of the vehicle alone, Chromatographic analysis and quantitativ e determination of the isolated phospholipid classes revealed statistically significant alterations of phospholipid fractions in the liver of the anim als treated with the higher thalidomide dose (3 mg/kg/day), These alteratio ns may be associated with changes in the metabolic activity, ionic transpor t and cell-cell interactions of the hepatic cellular components.