In this study, we report phospholipid changes in rat brain subcellular fractions in an experimental model of cerebral ischemia. In control rats, the total phospholipid content was the highest in microsomes and the lowest in brain homogenate. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were the most prominent components in all fractions. Cerebral ischemia led to a decrease of total phospholipids in homogenate, nuclei, microsomes and myelin with the largest decrease in homogenate - 8-fold. Synaptosomes and mitochondria showed an increase in phospholipid content - 3.7- and 4-fold, respectively. The individual phospholipids showed specific changes in each subcellular fraction. Nevertheless, after ischemia PC and PE were still the major components in all fractions.