Effect of taurine on chemoshock seizure thresholds in lead-exposed animals

Conference · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5387145

Huxtable, R J; Shindo, S; Nakagawa, K

The high levels of taurine found in developing brain have led to postulates that taurine is involved in brain maturation. The authors have examined the effect of taurine on the chemoshock threshold of rats reared in the presence of the environmental toxin, lead. Within 24 h of giving birth, dams were placed on one of four regimens: Group P received 0.4% lead acetate in the drinking water; Group T received 3% taurine in drinking water; Group PT received both taurine and lead acetate; and Group C received distilled water. The pups were weaned at 21 days, but maintained on the same treatments. Pentylene tetrazole seizure thresholds were determined at 42 days. Thresholds in Group P were significantly depressed relative to Group C (56.0 mg/kg v 79.9 mg/kg). Taurine supplementation had no effect on threshold (T = 72.7 mg/kg). However, thresholds in Group PT were significantly higher than those of Group P (PT = 85.2 mg/kg). These data show that whereas taurine was without effect on the threshold of animals not stressed by exposure to lead, it had a protective effect on exposed animals. As human neonates are unable to synthesize taurine, the findings reinforce the concept of taurine being a conditionally essential nutrient in developing humans.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Arizona, Tucson
• OSTI ID: 5387145
• Report Number(s): CONF-8604222-
• Journal Information: Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 45:3; Conference: 70. annual meeting of the Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA, 13 Apr 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
LEAD
TOXICITY
TAURINE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
BRAIN
NUTRIENTS
RATS
AMINES
ANIMALS
BODY
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
ELEMENTS
MAMMALS
METALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
RODENTS
SULFONIC ACIDS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)