title: The Form of Choline in the Maternal Diet Affects Immune Development in Suckled Rat Offspring.
abstract: Lipid-soluble phosphatidylcholine (PC) and aqueous free choline are absorbed and metabolized differently, but the metabolic effects of feeding these 2 forms of choline have not been thoroughly investigated.
  
  
  
  We sought to compare the effects of PC and free choline in the maternal diet on the development of the offspring's immune system.
  
  
  
  During lactation, Sprague-Dawley dams (n= 10) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 diet groups containing the same concentration of total choline (1 g/kg diet) as free choline (choline bitartrate) or PC (egg lecithin). The splenocytes of pups aged 21 d were isolated and stimulated ex vivo with concanavalin A (ConA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the choline concentrations of stomach content, plasma, and the spleen were measured.
  
  
  
  Pups from PC-fed dams had a lower proportion of cells involved in antigen presentation but produced 54% more interleukin (IL)-2, 163% more IL-6, and 107% more IFN-γ after ConA stimulation and 110% more IL-6 and 43% more tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α after LPS stimulation (allP< 0.05). The PC concentrations were significantly higher in the plasma and spleen of pups from PC-fed dams (P< 0.05). Increasing the supply of PC in the form of lysophosphatidylcholine to splenocytes in vitro increased the rate of proliferation and IL-2 production and the surface expression of CD25, CD28, CD71, and CD152 on CD8+ T cells, suggesting 1 possible mechanism.
  
  
  
  The results of this study demonstrate that providing choline to rats in the form of PC (compared to free choline), possibly by increasing the supply of PC to the suckling pups, promotes maturation and improves function of the offspring's immune system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Erin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goruk
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Early Life Research Unit, Academic Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Neele S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Dellschaft
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and.
authors.forename: René L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and catherine.field@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000633:toxicity; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D007774:Lactation; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003208:Concanavalin A; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D002794:Choline
keywords: immune system development; lactation; lysophosphatidylcholine; nutritional immunology; splenocytes