CHOLINE INGESTION INCREASES THE RESONANCE OF CHOLINE-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS IN HUMAN BRAIN - AN IN-VIVO PROTON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE STUDY

Choline is a crucial intermediate in several clinically relevant neuro chemical processes. In this study, choline-containing compounds in hum an brain (principally phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, and choli ne) were measured by H-1-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, before and a fter the ingestion of 50 mg/kg choline in four normal control subjects . Substantial and remarkably similar increases in the brain choline re sonance occurred in each subject, with a nearly two-fold rise in the c holine resonance observed 3 hr following choline ingestion (p = 0.008 versus baseline). One subject also receives a dose of 200 mg/kg cholin e, and exhibited a proportionally larger increase in the brain choline resonance. The results are consistent with animal data reporting a ri se in choline-containing compounds following choline administration. T his is the first study to our knowledge where an oral nutrient has bee n shown to produce a detectable change in human brain composition in v ivo. Studying choline transport and biotransformation in human brain m ay have relevance to several neuropsychiatric disorders, including aff ective disorders and dementia.