Intestinal transfer of choline in rat and hamster

1. The transfer of choline was studied with sacs of everted intestine of rat and hamster.2. The choline transfer can be divided into two components, a diffusion process and a saturable process. The latter plays a relatively greater part at low concentrations of choline, which include the physiological concentration in the plasma. The saturable process is better seen in the hamster than in the rat.3. Intestinal transfer of choline is influenced by substances altering the availability of energy in the cell, and by some substances chemically or pharmacologically related to choline. These findings are consistent with some kind of specific mechanism for choline transfer.4. Part of the choline taken up by the cell appears as a metabolite not yet identified. The formation of the metabolite is a saturable process and is abolished by anaerobic conditions and by homogenization.5. The results are also discussed in relation to parameters of transfer.