Relation of Methionine, Cystine and Choline to Renal Lesions Occurring on Low Choline Diets

Abstract

In a previous report1 it was demonstrated that a severe pathological state characterized by hemorrhagic degeneration of the kidneys occurs within 10 days in young rats maintained on a low choline diet. This deficiency was prevented by choline. It was suggested that proteins relatively high in methionine and low in cystine possessed a choline-sparing action since the deficiency was produced more readily on diets containing fibrin than on those containing casein. Subsequent work has confirmed the earlier suggestion that choline might prevent the renal lesion resulting from the addition of cystine to a purified diet containing casein. Furthermore, it has been found that the addition of methionine to a diet containing fibrin completely protected the rats.Normal kidneys were found in 40 g rats fed the following diet for 10 days: casein, 15; salt mixture, 4; calcium carbonate, 1; codliver oil, 5; lard, 35; agar, 2; sucrose, 32, and yeast, 6. Hemorrhagic kidneys invariably occurred if 0.3% cystine was added but ...