Increase in rat brain acetylcholine induced by choline or deanol

Administration of choline chloride, deanol, or Deaner ® to rats subsequently killed by microwave irradiation caused an increase in the concentration of both choline and acetylcholine in the corpus striatum, indicating that synthesis of brain acetylcholine can be stimulated in vivo by elevating the tissue concentration of its precursor. This finding suggests that the concentration of free choline in brain is below that necessary for a maximal rate of synthesis of acetylcholine, and raises the possibility that the availability of choline in brain may regulate the rate of synthesis of acetylcholine. These results also provide biochemical evidence for the view that the clinical effects of deanol result from its conversion to acetylcholine.