The distribution in the rabbit of choline administered by injection or infusion

Abstract

The concentration of choline in plasma, erythrocytes, skeletal muscle, heart, lung, liver, small intestine and kidneys and the changes that follow the injection or infusion of choline were measured in rabbits anesthetized with pentobarbitone. The concentration of choline in the plasma of arterial blood was 11.8±0.6 n mole/ml. and in the erythrocytes 28.4±1.3 n mole/ml. blood. All tissues contained a higher concentration of free choline than did plasma. The values range from 19.1±2.2 n mole/g in skeletal muscle to 500±25 n mole/g in the kidney. In order of their choline concentrations the tissues were intestine (duodenal end) > kidney > intestine (caecal end) > liver > lung > brain > heart > erythrocytes > (blood) > skeletal muscle > plasma, while in order of the contribution to the total body choline they were liver > intestine > skeletal muscle > (blood) > kidney > erythrocytes > lung > brain > plasma > heart. The total free choline determined by these analyses was between 30-40 μmole/kg body weight, about one third being present in the liver. The choline content of the small intestine varied along its length, the lowest amount being present in the portion adjoining the caecum.