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Influence of an n‐6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid‐Enriched Diet on the Development of Tolerance during Chronic Ethanol Administration in Rats
Author(s) -
Meehan E.,
Beaugé F.,
Choquart D.,
Leonard B. E.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1995.tb01005.x
Subject(s) - evening primrose oil , polyunsaturated fatty acid , ethanol , linoleic acid , chemistry , gamma linolenic acid , membrane fluidity , linolenic acid , fatty acid , biochemistry , membrane , medicine , endocrinology , food science , biology
This study investigates the effects of n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in the form of dietary Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) and safflower oil, on the development of tolerance to ethanol. The degree of fluorescence polarization of the fluoroprobes DPH, PROP‐DPH, and TMA‐DPH in isolated cortical synaptosomal membranes was measured. In addition, the development of tolerance, as shown by changes in synaptosomal membrane fluidity after an acute in vitro ethanol challenge, was also determined after 20 weeks of ethanol administration, either alone or together with a PUFA‐enriched diet. Although the administration of EPO‐enriched diet did not significantly render the inner core of the cortical synaptosomal membrane tolerant to the acute ethanol challenge, concomitant administration of ethanol and EPO was found to increase further the rigidity and tolerance to the acute ethanol challenge in the inner core. Chronic administration of safflower oil, which lacks γ‐linolenic acid (18:3, n‐6) but like EPO contains linoleic acid, either alone or together with chronic ethanol had no effect on synaptosomal membrane fluidity after an acute ethanol challenge. The results suggest that γ‐linolenic acid or its metabolites may have an important role to play in the development of tolerance to chronic ethanol.