title: Choline cannot be replaced by propanolamine in mice.
abstract: Choline is an important nutrient for humans and animals. Animals obtain choline from the diet and from the catabolism of phosphatidylcholine made by phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT). The unique model of complete choline deprivation is Pemt(-/-) mice that are fed a choline-deficient diet. This model, therefore, can be used for the examination of choline substitutes in mammalian systems. Recently, propanolamine was found to be a replacement for choline in yeast. Thus, we tested to see whether or not choline can be replaced by propanolamine in mice. Mice were fed a choline-deficient diet and supplemented with either methionine, 2-amino-propanol, 2-amino-isopropanol and 3-amino-propanol. We were unable to detect the formation of any of the possible phosphatidylpropanolamines. Moreover, none of them prevented liver damage, reduction of hepatic phosphatidylcholine levels or fatty liver induced in choline-deficient-Pemt(-/-) mice. These results suggest that choline in mice cannot be replaced by any of the three propanolamine derivatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Canadian Institutes of Health Research Group on the Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 328 Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Zhaoyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dennis E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Vance
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002794:Choline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D002796:Choline Deficiency / Q000139:chemically induced; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008715:Methionine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D011412:Propanolamines; D014280:Triglycerides; D008715:Methionine; D050918:Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase; D002794:Choline