Effects of Chronic Alcohol Abuse on the Structural Lipids in the Human Brain

Abstract

Eight human brains with clinical signs of "hepatocerebral degeneration" (6 alcoholic and 2 post hepatitic in aetiology) were examined in 4 different regions for their content of cerebroside, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and cholesterol. Compared with normal brains the lipid content was reduced in all these regions. The grey matter showed mainly a reduction of cerebroside, whereas significant loss of cerebroside, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and cholesterol was found in the myelin rich areas. Apart from parenchymal oedema, morphological changes were not apparent in the brains examined. These findings suggest that in "hepatocerebral degeneration" there is a pre-morphological, generalised cerebral degeneration involving the structural lipids which cannot be attributed to the physiological ageing process.Acht menschliche Gehirne mit den klinischen Zeichen der hepatocerebralen Degeneration (6 infolge alkohol-toxischer und 2 infolge posthepatitischer Cirrhosen) wurden in 4 verschiedenen Regionen auf ihren Gehalt an Cerebrosid, Sphingomyelin, Phosphatidylcholin, Phosphatidyläthanolamin und Cholesterin untersucht. Verglichen mit Normalgehirnen war der Lipidgehalt in den untersuchten Regionen reduziert. Die graue Substanz zeigte insbesondere eine Verminderung an Cerebrosid, während in den myelin-reichen Regionen ein signifikanter Verlust von Cerebrosid, Phosphatidylcholin, Phosphatidyläthanolamin und Cholesterin nachzuweisen war. -Von einem ödem des Gehirnes abgesehen konnten auffallende morphologische Veränderungen nicht gefunden werden. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, daß es sich bei der hepatocerebralen Degeneration um eine prä-morphologische, allgemeine cerebrale Degeneration unter Mitbeteiligung der Strukturlipide handelt, welche durch den physiologischen Alterungsprozeß allein nicht erklärt werden kann.

Magnetic resonance imaging in pre-senile dementia of the Alzheimer-type, multi-infarct dementia and Korsakoff's syndrome

“…Pathological studies have confirmed a loss of brain volume relative to cranial capacity, with a reduction in white matter volume rather than cortical grey matter (Harper et al 1985). These volume changes in white matter may be associated with changes in sodium and potassium concentrations (Shaw et al 1969) and lipid content (Lesch et al 1979), and alterations in hydration may explain the potential reversibility of" CT scan changes. Tj values in general reflect the water content of tissue (Mathur de Vre, 1984) but the increase in T t values in newly detoxified alcoholics does not appear to be a potentially reversible phenomenon (Chick et al 1987;.…”

Cortical and diencephalic lesions in Korsakoff's syndrome: a clinical and scan study

“…First, Harper et al (1987) reported that the number of cortical neurons in the superior frontal cortex was significantly reduced in chronic alcoholics with or without WE compared with controls, whereas neuronal counts were equivalent in the motor cortex. Secondly, frontal white matter pathology has been demonstrated in alcoholics on the basis of biochemical findings (Lesch et al 1979) and changes in CT absorption values (Gurling et al 1986).…”

Reduction of blood flow in cerebral white matter in alcoholics related to hepatic function

“…However, Lynch (1960) has described white matter changes in "ordinary" alcoholics. Further, in brains from subjects with alcoholic liver disease, Lesch et al (1972) found a significant loss of structural lipids in myelin rich areas. Alling & Bostrom (1980) also described loss of myelinated fibres and decreased concentration of cerebrosides, cholesterol and phospholipids in the mamillary bodies of brains from alcoholics.…”