Cystic Fibrosis and Choline-related Supplements

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 3, 702-708, March
2007
© 2007 American Society for Nutrition

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION

Choline-related supplements improve abnormal plasma methionine-
homocysteine metabolites and glutathione status in children with
cystic fibrosis1,2,3
Sheila M Innis, A George F Davidson, Stepan Melynk and S Jill James
1 From the Department of Paediatrics, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada (SMI and AGFD), and the Department of
Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock,
AR (SM and SJJ)


Background: Liver triacylglycerol accumulation and oxidative stress
are common in cystic fibrosis (CF) and also occur in choline
deficiency. Previously, we showed an association between elevated
plasma homocysteine, reduced ratios of S-adenosylmethionine to S-
adenosylhomocysteine (SAM:SAH) and of phosphatidylcholine to
phosphatidylethanolamine, and phospholipid malabsorption in children
with CF.

Objective: The objective was to address a possible relation between
altered methionine-homocysteine metabolism and choline metabolism in
children with CF.

Design: Children with CF were assigned without bias to supplementation
with 2 g lecithin/d (n = 13), 2 g choline/d (n = 12), or 3 g betaine/d
(n = 10) for 14 d. Plasma concentrations of methionine, adenosine,
cysteine, cysteinyl-glycine, glutathione, glutathione disulfide
(GSSG), and fatty acids; SAM:SAH; and red blood cell phospholipids
were measured within each group of children with CF before and after
supplementation. Plasma from healthy children without CF (n = 15) was
analyzed to obtain reference data.

Results: Children with CF had higher plasma homocysteine, SAH, and
adenosine and lower methionine, SAM:SAH, and glutathione:GSSG than did
children without CF. Supplementation with lecithin, choline, or
betaine resulted in a significant increase in plasma methionine, SAM,
SAM:SAH, and glutathione:GSSG and a decrease in SAH (n = 35).
Supplementation with choline or betaine was associated with a
significant decrease in plasma SAH and an increase in SAM:SAH,
methionine, and glutathione:GSSG. Supplementation with lecithin or
choline also increased plasma methionine and SAM.

Conclusion: We showed that dietary supplementation with choline-
related compounds improves the low SAM:SAH and glutathione redox
balance in children with CF.


Key Words: Choline · betaine · phospholipids · ratio of glutathione to
glutathione disulfide · GSH:GSSG · cystic fibrosis

---------------------------------------------------------------------------**-----

Lancet. 1977 Jul 9;2(8028):68-9. Related Articles, Links


Lecithin consumption raises serum-free-choline levels.


Wurtman RJ, Hirsch MJ, Growdon JH.


Consumption of choline by rats sequentially increases serum-choline,
brain-choline, and brain-acetylcholine concentrations. In man
consumption of choline increases in levels in the serum and
cerebrospinal fluid; its administration is an effective way of
treating


tardive dyskinesia. We found that oral lecithin is considerably more
effective in raising human serum-choline levels than an equivalent
quantity of choline chloride. 30 minutes after ingestion of choline
chloride (2-3 g free base), serum-choline levels rose by 86% and
returned to normal values within 4 hours; 1 hour after lecithin
ingestion, these levels rose by 265% and remained significantly
raised
for 12 hours. Lecithin may therefore be the method of choice for
accelerating acetylcholine synthesis by increasing the availability
of
choline, its precursor in the blood.


PMID: 69151 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


---------------------------------------------------------------------------**-----



Who loves ya.
Tom


Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com


Man Is A Herbivore!
http://tinyurl.com/a3cc3


DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://tinyurl.com/zk9fk