The Effects of Vitamins B12 and B12f on Growth, Kidney Hemorrhage, and Liver Fat in Rats Fed Purified Diets

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Abstract
The choline-sparing activities of vitamins B12 and B12f have been investigated, using weanling male rats fed purified diets containing 9% or 18% casein. As judged by growth stimulation and prevention of hemorrhagic kidneys, vitamin B12 is able to replace dietary choline almost completely. On the other hand, a suboptimum level of dietary choline is necessary for the demonstration of lipotropic activity. No evidence was obtained of a choline-sparing activity of vitamin B12f. Under the conditions used, methionine will not replace choline completely even in the presence of supplementary vitamin B12. Rapid growth is not essential for the development of fatty livers, although the higher levels of liver fat were usually found in faster growing animals. Even with 0.1% choline chloride in the diet, liver fat in animals fed the 9% casein diet was considerably higher than that found in animals fed the 18% casein diet, indicating that casein may have lipotropic activity in addition to that due to its methionine content.