Konstantinova Svetlana V, Tell Grethe S, Vollset Stein Emil, Nygård Ottar, Bleie Øyvind, Ueland Per Magne
Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Bergen 5020, Norway.
J Nutr. 2008 May;138(5):914-20. doi: 10.1093/jn/138.5.914.
Choline is involved in the synthesis of phospholipids, including blood lipids, and is the immediate precursor of betaine, which serves as a methyl group donor in a reaction converting homocysteine to methionine. Several cardiovascular risk factors are associated with plasma homocysteine, whereas little is known about their relationship to choline and betaine. We examined the relation of plasma choline and betaine to smoking, physical activity, BMI, percent body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, serum lipids, and glucose in a population-based study of 7074 men and women aged 47-49 and 71-74 y. Overall plasma concentrations (means +/- SD) were 9.9 +/- 2.3 micromol/L for choline and 39.5 +/- 12.5 micromol/L for betaine. Choline and betaine were lower in women than in men and in younger subjects compared with older (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses showed that choline was positively associated with serum triglycerides, glucose, BMI, percent body fat, waist circumference (P < 0.0001 for all), and physical activity (P < 0.05) and inversely related to HDL cholesterol (P < 0.05) and smoking (P < 0.0001). Betaine was inversely associated with serum non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, BMI, percent body fat, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.0001 for all), and smoking (P < 0.05) and positively associated with HDL cholesterol (P < 0.01) and physical activity (P < 0.0001). Thus, an unfavorable cardiovascular risk factor profile was associated with high choline and low betaine concentrations. Choline and betaine were associated in opposite directions with key components of metabolic syndrome, suggesting a disruption of mitochondrial choline dehydrogenase pathway.
胆碱参与包括血脂在内的磷脂合成，并且是甜菜碱的直接前体，甜菜碱在同型半胱氨酸转化为蛋氨酸的反应中作为甲基供体。几种心血管危险因素与血浆同型半胱氨酸有关，而它们与胆碱和甜菜碱的关系却鲜为人知。我们在一项针对7074名年龄在47 - 49岁和71 - 74岁的男性和女性的人群研究中，考察了血浆胆碱和甜菜碱与吸烟、身体活动、体重指数（BMI）、体脂百分比、腰围、血压、血脂和血糖的关系。胆碱的总体血浆浓度（均值±标准差）为9.9±2.3微摩尔/升，甜菜碱为39.5±12.5微摩尔/升。女性的胆碱和甜菜碱水平低于男性，且年轻受试者低于年长受试者（P < 0.0001）。多变量分析表明，胆碱与血清甘油三酯、血糖、BMI、体脂百分比、腰围（所有P < 0.0001）以及身体活动（P < 0.05）呈正相关，与高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL胆固醇）（P < 0.05）和吸烟（P < 0.0001）呈负相关。甜菜碱与血清非高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、甘油三酯、BMI、体脂百分比、腰围、收缩压和舒张压（所有P < 0.0001）以及吸烟（P < 0.05）呈负相关，与HDL胆固醇（P < 0.01）和身体活动（P < 0.0001）呈正相关。因此，不良的心血管危险因素谱与高胆碱和低甜菜碱浓度相关。胆碱和甜菜碱与代谢综合征的关键组分呈相反方向的关联，提示线粒体胆碱脱氢酶途径存在紊乱。
