In the present study, we have characterized the choline transport system and examined the influence of various amine drugs on the choline transporter using a conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell line (TR-BBB) in vitro. The cell-to-medium (C/M) ratio of $[^3{H}]choline$ in TR-BBB cells increased time-dependently. The initial uptake rate of $[^3{H}]choline$ was concentration-dependent with a Michaelis-Menten value, $K_{m}$, of $26.2pm2.7{mu}M$. The $[^3{H}]choline$ uptake into TR-BBB was $Na^{+}-independent$, but was membrane potential-dependent. The $[^3{H}]choline$ uptake was susceptible to inhibition by hemicholinium-3, and tetraethy-lammonium (TEA), which are organic cation transporter substrates. Also, the uptake of $[^3{H}]choline$ was competitively inhibited with $K_{i}$ values of $274 {mu}M, 251 {mu}M and 180 {mu}M$ in the presence of donepezil hydrochloride, tacrine and $alpha-phenyl-n-tert-butyl nitrone$ (PBN), respectively. These characteristics of choline transport are consistent with those of the organic cation transporter (OCT). OCT2 mRNA was expressed in TR-BBB cells, while the expression of OCT3 or choline transporter (CHT) was not detected. Accordingly, these results suggest that OCT2 is a candidate for choline transport at the BBB and may influence the BBB permeability of amine drugs.