Kwashiorkor type of fatty liver in primates.

Fatty livers resembling those seen in the early stages of kwashiorkor have been produced in primates. Monkeys were fed, for about 1 year, purified diets free from choline and betaine and low in methionine. Supplementation with choline slightly improved food consumption and gain in weight. Choline prevented the appearance of any stainable lipide in the liver of the control animals. The extent to which the slightly greater intake of protein, including methionine, in the choline-supplemented animals contributed to the prevention of the periportal accumulation of fat in the liver is being determined.