Osmotic regulation of supraoptic nucleus (SON) neuron activity depends in part on activation of neuronal glycine receptors (GlyRs), most probably by taurine released from adjacent astrocytes. In the neurohypophysis in which the axons of SON neurons terminate, taurine is also concentrated in and osmo-dependently released by pituicytes, the specialized glial cells ensheathing nerve terminals. We ...

A relationship between bile acid conjugation and hepatic taurine concentration was investigated in rats fed on citrus pectin. When rats were fed on the diets containing varying amounts of pectin (10, 30, 60 and 100 g/kg dietary levels), biliary excretion of bile acids increased as the dietary levels of pectin increased. The increase was entirely due to the glycine-conjugated bile acids. The bil...

Acute lung injury (ALI), a serious respiratory distress has been associated with considerable human morbidity and mortality. Taurine, a physiological semi-essential amino acid has been shown to be tissue-protective in several models of oxidant-induced injury. Therefore, the current study was designed to explore protective effects of the taurine in ALI mice models. The possible tissue protective...

Sørensen BH, Thorsteinsdottir UA, Lambert IH. Acquired cisplatin resistance in human ovarian A2780 cancer cells correlates with shift in taurine homeostasis and ability to volume regulate. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 307: C1071–C1080, 2014. First published September 24, 2014; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00274.2014.—Cisplatin resistance is a major challenge in the treatment of cancer and develops through ...

In a recent study (1) of the metabolism of taurine-S35 and taurocholate-S35 in the rat, a significant tissue retention of labeled sulfur. was observed 24 hours after the administration of taurine-S36. This tissue retention was increased and the urinary excretion decreased by preparatory feeding of a diet low in organic sulfur. Machlin et al. (2) have observed that 65 per cent of injected sulfat...

Taurine has an important role in numerous physiological processes, including many aspects of fetal development such as development of the pancreas and brain, and requirements increase during pregnancy. Periconceptional undernutrition has long-term effects on pancreas and brain function of the offspring, but the effects on maternal taurine economy are unknown. We, therefore, studied the effects ...

PURPOSE Comparative assessment of cultured human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) and bovine lens epithelial cells (BLECs) established the nature of the relationship between taurine-concentrating capability and intracellular polyol accumulation or extracellular hypertonicity. METHODS The kinetic characteristics of active taurine accumulation based on the measurement of in vitro [3H]-taurine upta...

Although the sulfur-containing amino acid taurine is found in high concentrations in mammalian myocardium, its involvement in function of the cardiac myocyte remains unclear. To examine the effects of taurine depletion on cardiac mechanical function, rats were treated in vivo with the taurine transport antagonist guanidinoethane sulfonate (GES). After 6 weeks of treatment, myocardial taurine co...

Energy drinks containing caffeine, taurine, and glucose may improve mood and cognitive performance. However, there are no studies assessing the individual and interactive effects of these ingredients. We evaluated the effects of caffeine, taurine, and glucose alone and in combination on cognitive performance and mood in 24-hour caffeine-abstained habitual caffeine consumers. Using a randomized,...

Taurine deficiency in patients on long-term parenteral nutrition may be involved in cholestasis. We aimed to assess plasma taurine and tauro-conjugated bile acids in adults with short-bowel syndrome and their response to intravenous taurine. Thirty-two adult patients, who had been on taurine-free parenteral nutrition for a mean of 59 (SE 14) months for short-bowel syndrome, were studied retrosp...