Effect of Amino Alcohols and Methyl Donors on Liver Fat of Rats Fed Low-choline Diets Containing 2-Amino-2-methylpropanol

Abstract

When 2-amino-2-methylpropanol (2A2-MP) was added to diets low in choline at a level of 1 mg/gm of food both the incidence of kidney lesions and the amount of liver fat were elevated. At higher levels of 2A2MP the kidney lesions were even more severe but the liver fat was lower than that due to 1mg 2A2MP/gm of food. The addition of N-methyl derivatives of ethanolamine, namely, monomethylethanolamine, dimethylethanolamine and choline was markedly effective in preventing the elevation of liver fat due to 1 mg of 2A2MP/gm of food. Ethanolamine had only a slight effect. The methyl donors, betaine, methionine and dimethyl-β-propiothetin when added to the diet containing 1 mg of 2A2MP/gm of food were also only slightly effective. When added to diets containing 1 mg of 2A2MP/gm and adequate ethanolamine, betaine reduced the liver fat to a great extent, whereas methionine reduced it only slightly. The results suggest that dietary 2A2MP increased the requirement for ethanolamine and for it N-methyl derivatives, choline, dimethylethanolamine and monomethylethanolamine.