Biochemical and Morphological Observations on Choline-deficient Rats. Effects of Various Levels of Beef Fat and Cholesterol, and of Injections of Sulfamerazine and Parathyroid Hormone

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Abstract
The effects of choline deficiency in young rats fed diets containing various levels of beef fat with or without added cholesterol for 7 to 8 days were studied. Liver lipid levels always decreased and plasma lipid levels generally increased following choline supplementation. Serum-protein levels increased with choline supplementation. Injury to the kidney, coronary vessels, myocardium and aorta were produced by this short period of choline deprivation; the injury and the level of choline required for protection were increased by the substitution of 5% of cholesterol for 5% of fat in the diet. Injections of sodium sulfamerazine over a period of 7 weeks resulted in kidney damage and hyperplasia of the parathyroids but in no appreciable cardiovascular injury. Injections of a total of 4,000 IU of parathyroid hormone/rat over a period of 8 weeks induced minimal damage to the coronary vessels and myocardium. Injections of a total of 1,200 IU/rat over a period of 4 weeks produced no detectable damage. All rats receiving injections were fed diets containing adequate choline.

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