choline and the liver

Linus Pauling Institute http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/choline/



cancer

In rats, dietary choline deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of

spontaneous liver cancer and increased sensitivity to carcinogenic chemicals. A

number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the cancer-promoting effects of

choline deficiency: (a) choline deficiency causes liver damage and regenerating

liver cells are more sensitive to the effects of carcinogenic chemicals; (b)

choline deficiency results in decreased methylation of DNA, resulting in abnormal

DNA repair; (c) choline deficiency results in increased oxidative stress in the

liver, increasing the likelihood of DNA damage; (d) choline deficiency may

stimulate changes in the programmed cell death (apoptosis) of liver cells,

contributing to the development of liver cancer; and (e) choline deficiency

activates the potent cell-signaling molecule, protein kinase C, which creates a

cascade of effects that are still being investigated (2, 3). The implications for

choline deficiency on human susceptibility to cancer remain unclear. Tweet