Lipo Injection

Lipotropes are compounds that may aid in the breakdown of body fat by acting on lipid metabolism and synthesis pathways. When used in combination with lifestyle modifications such as exercise and diet, lipotropic compounds may promote fat and weight loss.

Lipotropic compounds including vitamins, nutrients, and other natural or pharmacological agents may be administered as injections or in the form of oral supplements. Injections provide the advantage of better bioavailability by avoiding enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, injections may be especially beneficial in individuals with gastrointestinal absorption issues.

The lipotropic agents in this injection are methionine and choline. While each may individually affect the mobilization of fats, the combination may provide synergistic benefits.Best, C. H., Lucas, C. C., Ridout, J. H. & Patterson, J. M. DOSE-RESPONSE CURVES IN THE ESTIMATION OF POTENCY OF LIPOTROPIC AGENTS*.Kenney, J. L. & Carlberg, K. A. The effect of choline and myo-inositol on liver and carcass fat levels in aerobically trained rats. Int. J. Sports Med. 16, 114–116 (1995).Andersen, D. B. & Holub, B. J. The relative response of hepatic lipids in the rat to graded levels of dietary myo-inositol and other lipotropes. J. Nutr. 110, 496–504 (1980). The physiological role of each compound and the effects of supplementation are described below.

Methionine

Methionine is a sulfur-containing branched-chain amino acid. A precursor for cellular methylation reactions, methionine plays an important role in lipid metabolism, polyamine synthesis, immune function, heavy metal chelation, and maintenance of redox balance.Martínez, Y. et al. The role of methionine on metabolism, oxidative stress, and diseases. Amino Acids vol. 49 2091–2098 (2017). Conversely, dietary methionine restriction in rodents increased energy expenditure, improved insulin resistance, and enhanced lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation in adipose tissue.Zhou, X. et al. Methionine restriction on lipid metabolism and its possible mechanisms. Amino Acids vol. 48 1533–1540 (2016).

The lipotropic effects of methionine may be attributed to its metabolite S-adenosyl methionine (SAM). SAM is synthesized from methionine via an energy-consuming reaction. SAM administered orally or by injection has been investigated as a treatment for liver diseases, osteoarthritis, and depression.S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe): In Depth | NCCIH. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/sadenosyllmethionine-same-in-depth. The benefits bestowed by SAM may be due to its role as a methyl donor in biochemical processes governing lipid homeostasis, DNA stability, gene expression, and neurotransmitter release.Chiang, P. K. et al. S‐Adenosylmetliionine and methylation. FASEB J. 10, 471–480 (1996).Obeid, R. & Herrmann, W. Homocysteine and lipids: S-Adenosyl methionine as a key intermediate. FEBS Letters vol. 583 1215–1225 (2009).Sharma, A. et al. S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for neuropsychiatric disorders: A clinician-oriented review of research. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry vol. 78 e656–e667 (2017).

Choline

Choline is an essential nutrient required for optimal functioning of various tissues including the liver, muscles, and brain.Wallace, T. C. et al. The underconsumed and underappreciated essential nutrient. Nutr. Today 53, 240–253 (2018). Since choline breaks down fat as an energy source, choline supplementation caused rapid fat and weight loss in female athletes.Elsawy, G., Abdelrahman, O. & Hamza, A. Effect of choline supplementation on rapid weight loss and biochemical variables among female taekwondo and judo athletes. J. Hum. Kinet. 40, 77–82 (2014). Only small amounts of choline are synthesized by the human body, necessitating its intake from external sources. In the body, about 95% of the total choline pool is converted to phosphatidylcholine – an essential component of the phospholipid bilayer and the predominant phospholipid in most mammalian cells.Li, Z. & Vance, D. E. Phosphatidylcholine and choline homeostasis. (2020). Choline also undergoes acetylation to form the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Choline deficiency causes hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease) and leads to loss of muscle membrane integrity. Chronic choline deficiency may also increase the risk of developing cancer.

Both choline and methionine are a source of methyl groups for the one-carbon transmethylation pathway and serve hepato-protective functions. Culturing hepatocytes in choline and methionine-deficient media impaired VLDL secretion.The active synthesis of phosphatidylcholine is required for very low density lipoprotein secretion from rat hepatocytes – PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3343237/. In addition, choline can donate methyl groups to support methionine regeneration, possibly contributing to their synergistic lipotropic effects.