We have determined the effect of prolonged ethanol treatment on several enzyme activities related to lipid metabolism in chick-brain and liver microsomes. Ethanol incrcascd microsome cho!esterol levels in both organs. The treatment caused a marked increase in the hepatic HMG-CoA rcductase and ACAT activities while in the brain a clear decrease was found in these enzyme activities. At the same time the aaivity of reacylation of phospholipids. was clearly mcdificd in both brain and liver. Thus, while in the liver the turnover ofacyl moieties of phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylinositol was enhanced by ethanol consumption. in the brain only the reacylation of phosphatidylserine increased to any significant extent. These results indicate that ethanol exerts a differential action in brain and liver, namely cholesterol synthesis and esterification decreased in brain and increased in chick liver. Ethanol also induces faster phospholipid metabolism in both brain and liver microsomes.
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