Oral supplementation of choline attenuates the development of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD)

Background: Chronic alcohol intake is associated with alterations of choline metabolism in various tissues. Here, we assessed if an oral choline supplementation attenuated the development of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) in mice. Methods: Female C57BL/6 J mice (n = 8/group) were either pair-fed a liquid control diet, or a Lieber DeCarli liquid diet (5% ethanol) ± 2.7 g choline/kg diet for 29 days. Liver damage, markers of intestinal permeability and intestinal microbiota composition were determined. Moreover, the effects of choline on ethanol-induced intestinal permeability were assessed in an ex vivo model. Results: ALD development as determined by liver histology and assessing markers of inflammation (e.g., nitric oxide, interleukin 6 and 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts) was attenuated by the supplementation of choline. Intestinal permeability in small intestine being significantly higher in ethanol-fed mice was at the level of controls in ethanol-fed mice receiving choline. In contrast, no effects of the choline supplementation were found on intestinal microbiota composition. Choline also significantly attenuated the ethanol-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in small intestinal tissue ex vivo, an effect almost entirely abolished by the choline oxidase inhibitor dimbunol. Conclusion: Our results suggest that an oral choline supplementation attenuates the development of ALD in mice and is related to a protection from intestinal barrier dysfunction.