Release of choline from rat brain under hypoxia: contribution from phospholipase A2 but not from phospholipase D

Moderate hypoxia induced in rats by inhalation of 10% oxygen led to an increase of the concentration of free choline in the brain and caused a large net-release of choline from the brain into the venous blood as determined by the measurement of the arterio-venous difference. In hippocampal slices from rat brain, hypoxia increased the release of choline into the superfusion medium. The activity of phospholipase D, as measured by the formation of phosphatidylpropanol in the presence of propanol, was not stimulated under these conditions. However, the mobilization of choline was completely depressed by lowering extracellular calcium and by 0.1 mM mepacrine. We conclude that hypoxia leads to a selective activation of phospholipase A₂ in the brain and, consequently, to a net loss of choline-containing phospholipids and membrane structures.