Choline and the Intestinal Absorption of Fat

Abstract

FRAZER1 has reported the presence of large globules of stainable fat in the epithelium of the intestinal villi of rats killed three hours after they had received olive oil and water by mouth ; but in the cores of the intestinal villi he could demonstrate very-little fat. However, three hours after the oral adirimistration of comparable amounts of olive oil with added choline, masses of fat were now found in the cores of the villi, whereas the epithelial cells had been more rapidly cleared. The fat which remained in the epithelium was more finely dispersed. We have re-investigated this problem using various procedures, including that described by Frazer. In a small number of animals the pictures which he has described were seen, but our findings in general have not supported his conclusions.