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Table 2 Plasma choline levels and hepatic indicators of phosphatidylcholine (PC) metabolism (mean ± SD) in male and female cats before and after spaying/neutering

From: No up-regulation of the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase pathway and choline production by sex hormones in cats

 

Group 1 (male intact) (n = 6)

Group 2 (male neutered) (n = 6)

Group 3 (female intact) (n = 6)

Group 4 (female spayed) (n = 6)

plasma choline (ÎĽM)

1.9 ± 0.8

1.8 ± 0.7

1.5 ± 0.3

2.0 ± 0.5

liver PEMTa activity (nmol/mg protein/h)

0.24 ± 0.18

0.19 ± 0.11

0.15 ± 0.09

0.21 ± 0.16

liver PC content (nmol/mg protein)

24.2 ± 3.8

24.1 ± 3.2

27.5 ± 3.1

24.1 ± 2.3

liver PC 38:6b (% of total PC)

3.3 ± 1.1

3.7 ± 1.6

4.2 ± 0.4

3.8 ± 0.5

liver PC 40:6b (% of total PC)

3.3 ± 1.3

4.2 ± 2.3

4.1 ± 0.6

3.7 ± 0.6

liver PC/PEc ratio

3.4 ± 0.4

3.1 ± 0.3

4.0 ± 1.4

4.0 ± 1.5

  1. a PEMT phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase
  2. bPC species implicated in PEMT activity i.e. PC containing long highly unsaturated acyl chains
  3. c PE phosphatidylethanolamine