LIPID STORAGE UNDER ABNORMAL CONDITIONS 677 



oleic acid reduced the rate at which P was introduced into phospholipids 

 containing choline and into those lacking choline. 



Inositol has been reported to exert a lipotropic effect in the case of de- 

 pancreatized dogs, 827 ' 828 although the results were not as marked as those 

 produced by a similar amount of lipocaic. McHenry and Patterson 647 

 state, however, that the lipocaic preparations made in their laboratories 

 contain sufficient inositol to account for the lipotropic potency in rats. 



In later work, Best and co-workers 829 failed to confirm the findings of 

 McHenry and Patterson 547 that biotin produces a selective deposition of 

 cholesterol esters in the liver, that inositol has a specific effect on bound 

 cholesterol, or that the biotin fatty liver is particularly resistant to the 

 action of choline. In fact, Beveridge and Lucas 825 reported that choline 

 brings about a greater reduction in cholesterol esters than does inositol. 

 However, Best et a/. 278 did report that inositol exerts a limited but clear- 

 cut lipotropic effect when added to a hypolipotropic diet devoid of fat. 

 The lipotropic action disappears when tested with fatty livers produced on 

 a diet containing the saturated fat fraction from beef drippings, a hydro- 

 genated fat, or an unsaturated fat. Subsequently, it was concluded 830 that 

 the action of inositol is strictly limited, and that there are no indications 

 that inositol possesses unique lipotropic properties under any dietary condi- 

 tions. Balatre and Merlen 831 confirmed the lipotropic action of inositol, 

 but noted that it was completely inactive in preventing experimental ar- 

 teriosclerosis. Both inositol acetate and nitrate were found to be superior 

 to free inositol as lipotropic agents. These authors also reported that the 

 acetate provided partial protection against atherosclerosis. MacFarland 

 and McHenry 832 are of the opinion that the inositol effect is unique, and is 

 characteristic of the biotin fatty livers. A comparison of the action of the 

 several lipotropic agents in different types of fatty livers is given in Table 

 24 (page 678). 



Ridout and collaborators 833 have demonstrated that a synergism exists 

 between choline and inositol, exhibited by their relative lipotropic effects in 



827 F. M. Owens, J. G. Allen, D. Stinger, and L. R. Dragstedt, Federation Proc, 1, 65 

 (1942). 



828 S. H. Rubin and E. P. Ralli, Federation Proc, 1, 76 (1942). 



829 C. H. Best, C. C. Lucas, J. M. Patterson, and J. H. Ridout, Biochem. J., 40, 368- 

 373 (1946). 



830 C. H. Best, C. C. Lucas, J. M. Patterson, and J. H. Ridout, Biochem. J., 48, 452- 

 458(1951). 



831 P. H. Balatre and J. F. Merlen, Compt. rend. soc. biol, 145, 579-581 (1951). 



832 M. L. MacFarland and E. W. McHenry, «/. Biol. Chem., 176, 429-434 (1948). 



833 J. H. Ridout, C. C. Lucas, J. M. Patterson, and C. H. Best, Biochem. J., 40, 494- 

 499 (1946). 



