Measurement of choline and choline metabolite concentrations using high-pressure liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

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Abstract

We have developed a reproducible and sensitive procedure for the isolation and measurement of choline, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine and acetylcholine in a single 100-mg sample of biological tissue. Tissues were spiked with 14C-methyl- and 2H-methyl- or 15N-choline labeled internal standards for each compound. They were extracted with chloroform/methanol/water and the aqueous and organic phases were dried. The organic phase was resuspended in chloroform/methanol (1/1, v/v) and an aliquot was applied to a silica-gel thinlayer chromatography plate. The plate was developed in chloroform/methanol/water (65/30/4, v/v). Segments which cochromatographed with external standards of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine were stained, scraped, and hydrolyzed in 6 M methanolic-HCI at 80°C for 60 min, liberating free choline. The aqueous phase was resuspended in methanol/ water and injected onto a silica HPLC column. Choline and its metabolites were eluted using a binary nonlinear gradient of acetonitrile/ethanol/acetic acid/ 1 M ammonium acetate/water/0.1 M sodium phosphate (800/ 68/2/3/127/10, v/v changing to 400/68/44/88/400/10, v/v). Peaks were detected with an on-line radiometric detector, collected, and dried under vacuum. Each choline ester was digested in 6 M HCl at 80°C to form choline. Choline was then converted to the propionyl ester and demethylated with sodium benzenethiolate. This volatile derivative was then isolated using gas chromatography and measured with a mass selective detector. Deuterated internal standards were used to correct for variations in recovery. Choline, glycerophosphocho line, phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, and acetylcholine were measured in rat liver, heart, muscle, kidney, plasma, red blood cells, and brain and in human plasma. This method may be useful in a variety of studies concerned with choline metabolism, including investigation in areas of nutrition, membrane biochemistry, and neurosciences.

Abbreviations

PCho
phosphocholine
GPCho
glycerophosphocholine
PtdCho
phosphatidylcholine
LysoPtdCho
lysophosphatidylcholine
AcCho
acetylcholine
Taps
3-[hydroxymethyl)methylamino]-1-propanesulfonic acid
MSD
mass selective detector

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