Choline Deficiency in the Rabbit

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Abstract
Rabbits required about 0.13% choline in the diet used for growth, maintenance of body weight, and prevention of fatty and cirrhotic livers and necrosis of kidney tubules. For growth, methionine had a slight, though definite, replacement value for choline. Monomethylaminoethanol, with methionine, was a very effective substitute for choline, while ethanolamine was inactive. Vitamin B12 plus folacin improved the utilization of methionine by the choline deficient rabbit for growth but appeared to be of no value in sparing suboptimum levels of choline, or in promoting the utilization of monomethylaminoethanol plus methionine. Moderate anemia, a high icteric index but without plasma bile pigments or jaundice, and the excretion of porphobilinogen, were noted in the choline-deficient rabbits.