Choline effect on 99mTc colloid and 99mTc mebrofenin on rats

Objectives 99mTc-Tin (II) colloid (TIN) and -mebrofenin (BrIDA) imaging were employed to study the effect of choline on hepatobiliary function and plasma fatty acid profiles of normal and diabetic rats.

Methods Rats were divided into four groups: control (C group), diabetic group (D group), choline-given diabetic group (Ch/D group) and choline-given group (Ch group) for imaging studies. Diabetes was induced chemically by using streptozotocin. Rats in Ch/D group and Ch group received an intravenous injections of choline, five consecutive days, twice. Dynamic acquisition was performed after an injection of 37 MBq TIN or BrIDA as a radiotracer. Regional distributions of the tracers were determined for all groups by drawing regions of interest and then obtained the ratios as the cumulative counts of heart, liver, spleen, biliary tree, and abdomen to the whole body. Data were presented as mean+SE. Statistical analyses were performed using t-test and ANOVA.

Results (a) Diabetic development in rats was accompanied by a highly significant decrease in TIN-uptake-ratios in the liver (D, 0.73±0.01 vs. C, 0.81±0.01, p<0.0001). Co-administration of choline in Ch/D group as well as Ch group abolished this diminution and turned to its control value. In contrast, diabetic rats showed increased TIN-uptake-ratios in heart (D, 0.19+0.02 vs. C, 0.15+0.02, p<0.0001) and spleen (D, 0.08+0.02 vs. C, 0.06+0.01, p<0.0001). Co-administration of choline also minimized their differences with the control levels. (b) Diabetic rats showed elevated BrIDA-uptake-ratios in biliary tree (D, 0.77+0.02 vs. C, 0.70+0.03, p<0.05) and abdomen (D, 1.23+0.03 vs. C, 0.81+0.01, p<0.0001).

Conclusions Choline treatment affects the plasma fatty acid profiles of diabetic rats with high plasma protein. Choline acts as a therapeutic agent for diabetes-associated abnormality with reference to the liver reticuloendothelial system as well as plasma fatty acids.

Research Support Kuwait University-Research Administration Grant Number: MN01/07.