Glycerophosphocholine and phosphocholine are the major choline metabolites in rat milk

Choline is a constituent of cell membranes, surfactant and acetylcholine and is also a major source of methyl groups for the regeneration of methionine from homocysteine. Previous analyses of rat, human and bovine milk measured only choline, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. Choline-containing compounds in milk from rats lactating for 15 d were measured by HPLC and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry. In addition to the previously reported choline metabolites, substantial concentrations of glycerophosphocholine (3.7 mmol/L) and phosphocholine (653 mumol/L) were also detected. At 1 h after oral administration of [methyl-14C]choline to lactating rats, the major labeled metabolites were phosphocholine (91% of label in milk) and betaine (9%). Twenty-four hours after the dose, glycerophosphocholine was the major labeled metabolite (69% of label in milk). Rat mammary epithelial cells, in primary culture, synthesized and secreted phosphatidylcholine, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine and betaine. Thus, the mammary gland was able to synthesize the choline metabolites found in milk, but these metabolites may not be derived exclusively from uptake from maternal blood. We have established that the total choline concentration in rat milk is sevenfold higher than previously reported, with > 80% present as glycerophosphocholine and phosphocholine.