A comparative study of free plasma choline levels following intramuscular administration of L-α-glycerylphosphorylcholine and citicoline in normal volunteers

Abstract

L-α-glycerylphosphorylcholine (α-GPC) is a recently developed cognitive enhancer whose mode of action is considered to involve the release of free choline, which is then utilized for acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in the brain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the profile of free plasma choline levels following a single i.m. dose of α-GPC in 12 normal volunteers. Citicoline (CTC), which also acts as a choline precursor, was included for comparison purposes. Each subject was studied on three randomized occasions, (i) in a control day in the absence of drug administration (to evaluate the plasma level profile of endogenous choline), (ii) after i.m. α-GPC (1,000 mg)..