Effect of choline and inositol on plasma and tissue lipids and atherosclerosis in the cholesterol-fed chick.

T HE DISCOVERY of the lipotropic action of choline, inositol and other substances1-led several workers to postulate their utility in the prophylaxis and therapy of both experimental and clinical atherosclerosis. It was reasoned that these factors might influence the deposition of lipids in the vascular wall, as well as in the liver. It was also suggested that they might affect the concentration and stability of plasma lipids, presumably key factors in atherogenesis.9"l0 Experimental attempts to test such hypotheses have lead to contradictory results.9-24 Despite such inconsistent findings and the paucity of clinical data,21 25 27 costly preparations of choline and/or inositol are being widely recommended as useful medications for the prophylaxis and therapy of human arteriosclerosis. From both scientific and socioeconomic considerations, therefore, it is essential that further experimentation be done on lipotropic factors in arteriosclerosis. This and the subsequent paper present biochemical and pathologic data on the effects of choline and inositol on cholesterol-induced, stilbestrol-induced and spontaneous atherosclerosis of young cockerels.