Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fewer metabolites of dietary choline reach the blood of rats after treatment with lithium

Journal Article · · Life Sci.; (United States)

The authors studies the effect of lithium treatment upon the appearance in blood, liver and intestine of metabolites formed from dietary choline. Rats were treated for 9 days with 2 mEq/kg lithium carbonate or water. Animals were fasted overnight, and on the 10th day were fed with a solution containing radiolabeled choline chloride. The lithium treated groups also received 2.0 mEq/kg lithium as part of this solution. After an oral dose of 1 ml of a 1 mM choline solution, the lithium-treated animals had significantly lower levels of choline derived radiolabel in blood than did controls at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes (47%, 51%, 59% and 74%, respectively). They observed similar decreases of the accumulation in blood, at 180 minutes after the dose, of choline-derived radiolabel when choline was administered at lower or higher concentrations. After an oral treatment containing 0.1, 1 or 10 mM choline, lithium treated animals accumulated 69%, 66% and 72% as much radiolabel in serum as did controls. Most of the radiolabel found in blood at 180 minutes was in metabolites of choline which are formed within liver. The diminished accumulation of radiolabel in serum after lithium treatment was not due to increased accumulation of label by erythrocytes, liver or gut wall. They suggest that lithium influences the release by liver of betaine and phosphatidylcholine. 36 references, 5 figures.

Research Organization:
Boston Univ. School of Medicine, MA
OSTI ID:
5640455
Journal Information:
Life Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Life Sci.; (United States) Vol. 42:7; ISSN LIFSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English