ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the most important studies of interactions with cellular lipids of drugs which produce dependence. A number of laboratories have reported effects of morphine and its congeners on membrane function and phospholipid metabolism in bacteria. The discussion of phospholipid metabolism will be preceded by a brief enumeration of some of the effects on cell membranes which led investigators to study effects on phospholipid metabolism. Changes in membrane function and phospholipid metabolism have also been seen in levor-phanol-treated mammalian cells. The major change in phospholipid metabolism observed during phagocytosis was a stimulation of the acylation of lysophosphatides. Serum phospholipids and cholesterol increase somewhat upon alcohol administration, but the main rise occurs in circulating glycerides, which is consistent with the finding that the most striking change takes place in the very low density lipoprotein fraction. Regardless of origin, fats will accumulate in the liver because of a decrease in lipid oxidation produced by alcohol.
