title: Lipotropes, immunocompetence, and cancer.
abstract: Lipotropes (choline, methionine, folic acid, and vitamin B12) are required for normal metabolic function at the cellular and subcellular levels. Deficiencies of any or all of them to a point of influence on methyl group metabolism has a profound effect on synthesis of cellular macromolecules and on cell proliferation. Lipotrope deficiency results in a diminished immunocompetence and an increased susceptibility to a number of types of cancer in experimental animals. A challenge now being addressed is to identify the linkage between lipotropes, the immune system, and cancer and to determine mechanisms which can be useful in cancer prevention.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002796:Choline Deficiency / Q000276:immunology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000276:immunology; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008082:Lipotropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008715:Methionine / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008082:Lipotropic Agents; D008715:Methionine