Observations on the Relationship of Hepatic Choline Uptake to Ethanolic Fatty Liver in the Rat

Abstract

Because ethanol ingestion is known to produce an accumulation of hepatic triglycerides and hence an increased need for lipoprotein production, it has been suggested that increased hepatic utilization of choline occurs as a secondary phenomenon resulting from an increased need for choline-containing phospholipids utilized for lipid–protein binding in lipoprotein formation. To evaluate this, rats given radiotagged choline were sacrificed at varying time intervals after acute ethanol ingestion. As expected, an increase both in hepatic radiotagged choline uptake (mean 146%) and a total hepatic triglycerides (mean 285%) was observed. However, radiotagged choline uptake occurred very rapidly and was maximal at 2 h whereas triglycerides accumulated more slowly with the greatest values seen at 16 h when no ethanol effect on choline uptake was observed. These data indicate that no causal relationship exists between ethanol-stimulated hepatic choline uptake and triglyceride accumulation. Other explanations are suggested.