Conversion of dietary choline to trimethylamine and dimethylamine in rats: dose-response relationship.

Trimethylamine (TMA) and dimethylamine (DMA) are normal components of human urine and are precursors of dimethylnitrosamine, a potent carcinogen. In part, DMA and TMA are products of the metabolism of dietary choline by intestinal bacteria. Most TMA formed in the intestinal tract is later oxidized and excreted as trimethylamine oxide (TMAO). Humans treated with large doses of choline smell "fishy" (the odor of TMA). Humans ingest choline as part of foods, and yet rarely smell fishy, suggesting that TMA formation must depend upon the dose of choline ingested. We found that, in adult rats, at low doses of choline (1.5 mmol/kg body wt) only 9 mumol choline (6% of the dose) reached the part of the intestine which is colonized by bacteria (the cecum and colon). After administration of 15 mmol choline/kg body wt, 237 mumol (16% of the dose) reached the cecum and colon. At both doses, 64-65% of the administered choline was absorbed from the intestine by 3 h after the dose. We found that orally administered choline slightly increased TMA and TMAO excretion at doses of choline smaller than 7 mmol/kg body wt, but that there was a disproportionately large increase in TMA excretion per 24 h when larger doses were administered (from 11 mumol TMA and 100 mumol TMAO per kg body wt in controls to 226 mumol TMA and 3617 mumol TMAO per kg body wt in rats treated with 15 mmol choline/kg body wt).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Formation of aliphatic amine precursors of N-nitrosodimethylamine after oral administration of choline and choline analogues in the rat.

Trimethylamine and dimethylamine are important precursors of N-nitrosodimethylamine, which is a potent carcinogen in a wide variety of animal species. Choline, a component of the normal human diet, is metabolized by bacteria within the intestine to form trimethylamine and dimethylamine. However, animals on a choline-free diet continue to excrete some trimethylamine and dimethylamine, suggesting that other dietary precursors of these methylamines might exist. To determine whether C-N bond cleavage by the intestinal bacteria is specific to the choline molecule, we measured monomethylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine and trimethylamine oxide excretion in rat urine after the administration of compounds that shared structural features with choline. Water, choline, dimethylaminoethanol, diethylaminoethanol, phosphocholine, betaine, carnitine, beta-methylcholine or dimethylaminoethyl chloride were administered by orogastric intubation, and the urine was collected for 24 hr. Administration of choline (15 mmol/kg body weight) resulted in increased urinary excretion of dimethylamine, trimethylamine and trimethylamine oxide (increases of approximately twofold, 500-fold and 50-fold, respectively). Of the administered choline, 12% was converted to trimethylamine or trimethylamine oxide and excreted in the urine within 24 hr. Phosphocholine administration resulted in similar increases in dimethylamine, trimethylamine and trimethylamine oxide excretion by rats. Modification of the ethyl-backbone or quaternary amine end of the choline molecule resulted in marked suppression of methylamine formation. Though administration of some analogues of choline (methylcholine, betaine and carnitine) resulted in the formation of small amounts of trimethylamine or trimethylamine oxide, and the administration of others (dimethylaminoethanol and dimethylaminoethyl chloride) resulted in the formation of some dimethylamine, the amounts formed were minimal compared with the amounts of trimethylamine and trimethylamine oxide formed after choline administration. Thus, of the many components of foods, only choline and its esters are likely to be significant substrates for trimethylamine and dimethylamine formation. How then can we explain the persistence of trimethylamine and dimethylamine excretion observed in choline-deficient rats? We suggest that endogenous (non-bacterial) synthesis of trimethylamine and dimethylamine occurs within some tissue of the rat.

The influence of creatinine, lecithin and choline feeding on aliphatic amine production and excretion in the rat.

The excretion of aliphatic amines, methylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine in the urine and faeces of rats fed on a control diet and diets supplemented with creatinine, lecithin or choline were measured over a 14 d feeding period. The rats were then killed and concentrations of amines in small and large intestinal contents measured. Adding creatinine to the diet resulted in a significant increase of methylamine excretion in the faeces and urine. The amount of methylamine found in all parts of the intestine increased, especially in the caecum. Adding lecithin to the diet resulted in an increase in the methylamine excretion only, and no change in the concentrations of amines found in the intestine, except for trimethylamine which was significantly increased in the caecum and colon. Adding choline to the diet resulted in a significant increase in excretion of trimethylamine and, to a lesser extent, methylamine. The levels of amines found in the gut increased, dimethylamine being increased in the small bowel, and methylamine and trimethylamine in the caecum.

A new method for in vivo measurement of brain monoamine oxidase activity.

The radiotracers, C-14-N-methylphenylethylamine (MPEA) and N-methylphenylethanolamine (MPEOA) both rapidly entered mouse brain after their intravenous injection and were metabolized by brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) to C-14-methylamine and corresponding aldehydes. The labelled metabolite was trapped in the brain. Measurement of radioactivity showed that the amount of the metabolite produced in the brain from C-14-MPEA was proportional to the MAO activity remaining after combined treatment with a specific MAO-A inhibitor, clorgyline and a MAO-B inhibitor, 1-deprenyl, but not by treatment with either inhibitor alone. The rate of production of the labelled metabolite produced from C-14-MPEOA was highly sensitive to the extent of inhibition of MAO-B activity (with phenylethylamine as substrate) by pretreatment with 1-deprenyl, but was relatively insensitive to inhibitor clorgyline. This selectivity suggests that MPEOA is a specific substrate of MAO-B in mouse brain in vivo. The above results indicate that C-14-labelled N-methylphenylethylamine and N-methylphenylethanolamine derivatives can be used for measurement of brain MAO activity and that C-14-MPEOA is a specific substrate for mouse brain MAO-B. The value and possible applications of this method for measurement of MAO-B in brain under different physiological conditions are discussed.

Formation of methylamines from ingested choline and lecithin.

Humans ingest substantial amounts of choline and lecithin as part of common foods. Physicians have recently begun administering large doses of these compounds to individuals with neurological diseases. A significant fraction of ingested choline is destroyed by enzymes within gut bacteria, forming trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA) and monomethylamine (MMA). Some of these methylamines are eventually excreted into the urine, presumably after being absorbed and carried to the kidneys via the bloodstream. The methylamines formed after choline is eaten could be substrates for the formation of nitrosamines, which have marked carcinogenic activity. Twenty-seven millimoles of choline chloride, choline stearate or lecithin were administered to healthy human subjects. It was found that these treatments markedly increased the urinary excretion of TMA, DMA and MMA, with choline chloride having the greatest effect. Rats were treated with 2 mmol/kg b.wt. of choline chloride or lecithin, and it was found that these treatments significantly increased urinary TMA excretion and did not alter DMA or MMA excretion. Our choline chloride preparation contained no MMA, DMA or TMA; however, it was found that our choline stearate and all the commercially available lecithins tested were contaminated with methylamines. Prior removal of methylamines from our lecithin preparation minimized the effect of oral administration of this compound on methylamine excretion in urine of rats and humans.

In vitro metabolism of creatinine, methylamine and amino acids by intestinal contents of normal and uraemic subjects.

An original method which uses in vitro anaerobic incubation at 37 degrees C followed by centrifugation, ultrafiltration, and ion exchange chromatography is described; it shows that faecal material suspended in physiological saline can destroy added creatinine. The rate of breakdown by suspensions from uraemic subjects (mean 780 mumol h-1kg-1 SEM 70) was slightly faster than in normal subjects (mean 550 mumol h-1kg-1 SEM 80). Methylamine concentration increased over eight hours as creatinine was metabolised and sarcosine appeared as an intermediate. The rates of these reactions varied within and between individuals and were inhibited by oxygen and centrifugation but not by oxytetracycline. Concentrations of free amino acids did not change significantly despite the formation of ammonia. This approach should be useful in studying the metabolic inter-relationships between intestinal contents and the host organism in health and disease.

In vivo reaction of dimethylnitrosamine with nucleic acids.

7-Methylguanine is the main compound resulting from in vivo interaction between dimethylnitrosamine (DMNA) and nucleic acids, detected after strong acid hydrolysis. However, enzymic and alkaline hydrolysis of nucleic acids leads to quantitative liberation of methylamine. Methylamine isolated from liver nucleic acids of 15N-DMNA-treated rats has molecular weight of 31, thus demonstrating that DMNA-nitrogen is not involved in the binding.

Production of volatile nitrogenous compounds from the degradation of streptomycin by Pseudomonas maltophilia.

Ammonia, methylamine, and pyridine were detected in broth filtrates of a streptomycin-degrading strain of Pseudomonas maltophilia during growth on streptomycin as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. Ammonia and methylamine, quantitatively measured by conversion to chromophores with picryl sulfonic acid, were found to accumulate in broth, whereas pyridine concentration increased in the early stages of streptomycin degradation and then decreased as the degradation of the antibiotic neared completion. Exogenous pyridine was metabolized by washed-cell suspensions. Use of N-streptomycin-methyl-(14)C showed that the methylamine arose from the N-l-glucosamine-methyl moiety of streptomycin. Methylamine was an end product and was not further metabolized by cells.

Volatile compounds produced in sterile fish muscle (Sebastes melanops) by Pseudomonas putrefaciens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and an Achromobacter species.

Volatile compounds produced by Pseudomonas putrefaciens, P. fluorescens, and an Achromobacter species in sterile fish muscle (Sebastes melanops) were identified by combined gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Compounds produced by P. putrefaciens included methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and trimethylamine. With the exception of dimethyl trisulfide, the same compounds were produced by an Achromobacter species. Methyl mercaptan and dimethyl disulfide were the major sulfur-containing compounds produced by P. fluorescens.

Volatile compounds produced in sterile fish muscle (Sebastes melanops) by Pseudomonas perolens.

Volatile compounds produced by Pseudomonas perolens ATCC 10757 in sterile fish muscle (Sebastes melanops) were identified by combined gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Compounds positively identified included methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, 3-methyl-1-butanol, butanone, and 2-methoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine. Compounds tentatively identified included 1-penten-3-ol and 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine. The substituted pyrazine derivative 2-methoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine was primarily responsible for the musty, potato-like odor produced by P. perolens.