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Journal of Nutrition Vol. 47 No. 3 July 1952, pp. 361-374
Copyright © 1952 by American Society for Nutrition
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The Importance of Choline in the Prevention of Nutritional Edema in Rats Fed Low-Protein Diets1

Three Figures

H. D. Alexander and R. W. Engel

Department of Animal Husbandry and Nutrition, Agricultural Experiment Station of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn

1. The prolonged feeding of diets low in protein and choline produced severe nutritional edema in 53 of 62 rats. This condition was not observed in control animals receiving the same diets supplemented with choline
2. Rats with edema had a substantial increase in body moisture and a resultant diminution in the concentration of body protein and fat when comparison was made with the body composition of rats fed the same diet supplemented with choline. On a dry weight basis, the rats with edema had low protein values but identical fat values when compared with rats receiving choline.
3. Edematous rats showed a significantly lower serum protein content than rats fed the same diet supplemented with choline.
4. The feeding of a diet deficient in protein and choline caused a rapid development of anemia in rats. In a period of 8 weeks the hemoglobin dropped from 13.0 gm to 4.65 gm per 100 ml of blood. During this same period rats receiving the same diet supplemented with choline maintained an average hemoglobin level of 11.0 gm per 100 ml of blood.
5. The edematous condition was associated with fatty infiltration and cirrhosis of the liver.

1 Published with the approval of the Director, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. These studies were conducted under Medical Research Contract DA 49 097 MD 21 OX No. 68-50, Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General.

Manuscript received 29 February 1952.




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