Methyl methionine sulfonium chloride (MMSC), homocysteine thiolactone (HCT) and L-methionine (l-Meth) were administered to rabbits with experimental fatty liver due to cholesterol, in an attempt to determine serum and liver lipid fractions (cholesterol, ester cholesterol, total phospholipid, total fatty acid, neutral fat, total fat, lecithin, cephalin and sphingomyelin).
The liver and serum lipid fractions of an MMSC administered group show a marked decrease of total fatty acid, neutral fat and total fat than HCT and l-Meth administered groups. The liver and serum lipid fractions of l-Meth administered group show a marked decrease of cholesterol and an increase of lecithin over the other groups.
An MMSC administered group seems to show a more favorable lipotropic action for cholesterol fatty liver than HCT and l-Meth administered groups. It is to be noted that the HCT administered group scarcely showed lipotropic action. A review was made of fatty liver and lipotropic substances.