Some effects of fasting on rats fed a choline-deficient diet

¹ Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

The blood ketone body concentrations of fasted and nonfasted rats fed a diet deficient in choline were determined and found to be similar to the concentrations obtained from a control group fed the same diet supplemented with choline. However, the animals on the choline-deficient diet had an 18–20% greater mean liver mass, and this could account for the failure to demonstrate the depressed level of blood ketone bodies which was anticipated on the basis of previous in vitro studies. Other possible explanations of this discrepancy are discussed. Despite a high hepatic fat content, the choline-deficient group had a normal concentration of liver glycogen. The nonfasting blood glucose concentration of the choline-deficient group (91.5 ± 5 mg %) was lower than that of the control group (102 ± 3 mg %). After 24 hours of fasting, the values were 52 ± 3 mg % and 61 ± 5 mg % for the choline-deficient and control group, respectively. The 72-hour fasting values were 43 ± 2 mg %, and 49 ± 2 mg %, respectively. Data showing the effect of diet composition on ketonemia, liver glycogen and blood glucose are presented and are in accord with previous studies.