Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-kw2vx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-13T08:59:11.320Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Recent Progress: The Brain, the Heart and Taurine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

André Barbeau
André Barbeau*
Affiliation:
Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, 110 avenue des Pins ouest, Montreal H2W 1R7
*
Reprint requests to Dr. Barbeau at the Institute
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This paper reviews some recent developments concerning the “non-essential” amino acid Taurine. It is shown that taurine is important in metabolic regulations within the heart, muscle and brain. Particular attention is paid to the neuropharmacology of taurine, such as its possible role in epilepsy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , November 1975 , pp. 343 - 346
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1975

References

Adembri, G., Bartolini, A., Bartolini, R., Giotti, A., Zilletti, L. (1974). Anticonvulsive action of homotaurine and taurine. British Journal of Pharmacology, 52, 439–440.Google ScholarPubMed
Awapara, J. (1956). The taurine concentration of organs from fed and fasted rats. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 218, 571–576.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barbeau, A. and Donaldson, J. (1973a). Taurine in epilepsy. The Lancet, 11, 387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barbeau, A. and Donaldson, J. (1973b). Zinc, taurine and epilepsy. Transactions of the American Neurological Association, 98, 243–244.Google ScholarPubMed
Barbeau, A. and Donaldson, J. (1974). Zinc, taurine and epilepsy. Archives of Neurology, 30, 52–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baskin, S.I. and Dagirmanjian, R. (1973a). Possible involvement of taurine in the genesis of muscular dystrophy. Nature (London), 245, 464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baskin, S.I.Dagirmanjian, R. (1973b). The effect of taurine on the pigmentation of the bullfrog tadpole. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 44A, 297–302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baskin, S.I., Hinkamp, D.L., Marquis, W.J. and Tilson, H.A. (1974). Effects of taurine on psychomotor activity in the rat. Neuropharmacology, 13, 591–594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bergamini, L. and Mutani, R. (1973). Taurine: a new approach to treatment for epilepsy. Rivista sperimentale di Freniatria e Medicina Legale delle Alienzaioni Mentale, 97, 738–747.Google Scholar
Bergamini, L., Mutani, R., Delsedime, M. and Durelli, L. (1974). First clinical experience on the antiepileptic action of taurine. European Neurology, 11, 261–269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berger, H. (1962). Aminoaciduria in progressive muscular dystrophy. Revue Canadienne de Biologie, 21, 567–576.Google ScholarPubMed
Blahd, W.H., Bloom, A. and Drell, W. (1955). Qualitative study of aminoaciduria in muscular dystrophy and myotonia dystrophica. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 90, 701–706.Google ScholarPubMed
Bonaventure, N., Wioland, N. and Mandel, P. (1974). Antagonists of the putative inhibitory transmitters taurine and GABA in the retina. Brain Research, 80, 281–289.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Borromei, A., Sacquegna, T. and Coccagna, G. (1975). Use of taurine in continuous partial epilepsy. Observations of a case. Phronesis, 17, 401–415.Google Scholar
Collins, C.G.S. and Topiwala, S.H. (1974). The release of (14C)-taurine from slices of rat cerebral cortex and spinal cord evoked by electrical stimulation and high potassium ion concentrations. British Journal of Pharmacology, 50, 471.Google ScholarPubMed
Crabai, F., Sitzia, A. and Pepeu, G. (1974). Taurine concentration in the neurohypophysis of different animal species. Journal of Neurochemistry, 23, 1091–1092.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Craig, C.R. and Hartmann, E.R. (1973). Concentration of amino acids in the brain of cobalt-epileptic rat. Epilepsia (Amst.), 14, 409–414.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Curtis, D.R. and Watkins, J.C. (1960). The excitation and depression of spinal neurones by structurally related amino acids. Journal of Neurochemistry, 6, 117–141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Curtis, D.R. and Watkins, J.C. (1965). The pharmacology of amino acids related to gamma-aminobutyric acid. Pharmacological Reviews, 17, 347–391.Google ScholarPubMed
Davison, A.N. and Kaczmarek, L.K. (1971). Taurine-A possible neurotransmitter. Nature, 234, 107–108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Belleroche, J.S. and Bradford, H.F. (1973). Amino acids in synaptic vesicles from mammalian cerebral cortex: A reappraisal. Journal of Neurochemistry, 21, 441–451.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Derouaux, M., Puil, E. and Naquet, R. (1973). Antiepileptic effect of taurine in photosensitive epilepsy. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 34, 770.Google Scholar
Dolara, P., Agresti, A., Giotti, A. and Pasquini, G. (1973). Effect of taurine on calcium kinetics of guinea-pig heart. European Journal of Pharmacology, 24, 352–358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ehinger, B. (1973) Glial uptake of taurine in the rabbit retina. Brain Research, 60, 512–516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodman, H.O., King, J.S., and Thomas, J.J. (1964). Urinary excretion of beta-aminobutyric acid and taurine in mongolism. Nature, 204, 650–652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guidotti, A., Badiani, G., and Pepeu, G. (1972). Taurine distribution in cat brain. Journal of Neurochemistry, 19, 431–435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Haas, H.L. and Hosli, L. (1973). The depression of brain stem neurones by taurine and its interaction with strychnine and bicuculline. Brain Research, 52, 399–402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hayashi, T. (1959). The inhibitory action of a β-hydroxy-γ-aminobutyric acid upon the seizure following stimulation of the motor cortex of the dog. Journal of Physiology (London), 145, 570–578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Honegger, C.G., Krepelka, L.M., Steiner, M. and Von Hahn, H.P. (1973). Kinetics and subcellular distribution of S35-Taurine uptake in rat cerebral cortex slices. Experientia (Basel) 29, 1235–1237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huxtable, R and Barbeau, A. (Eds.) (1975). Taurine. Raven Press, New York, (in press).Google ScholarPubMed
Huxtable, R. and Bressler, R. (1973). Effect of taurine on a muscle intracellular membrane. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 323, 573–583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huxtable, R. and Bressler, R. (1974a). Taurine concentrations in congestive heart failure. Science, 184, 1187–1188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huxtable, R. and Bressler, R. (1974b). Elevation of taurine in human congestive heart failure. Life Sciences, 14, 1353–1359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Izumi, K., Donaldson, J., Minnich, J.L. and Barbeau, A. (1973). Ouabaininduced seizures in rats: Suppressive effects of taurine and γ -aminobutyric acid. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 51, 885–889.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Izumi, K., Igisu, H. and Fukuda, T. (1974). Suppression of seizures by taurinespecific or non specific? Brain Research, 76, 171–173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobsen, J.G. and Smith, L.L.H. (1968). Biochemistry and physiology of taurine and taurine derivatives. Physiological Reviews, 48, 424–511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jasper, H.H. and Koyama, I. (1969). Rate of release of amino acids from the cerebral cortex in the cat as affected by brain stem and thalamic stimulation. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 47, 889–905.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaczmarek, L.K. and Adey, W.R. (1974). Factors affecting the release of (14C) taurine from cat brain: The electrical effects of taurine on normal and seizure prone cortex. Brain Research, 76, 83–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaczmarek, L.K. and Davison, A.N. (1972). Uptake and release of taurine from rat brain slices. Journal of Neurochemistry. 19, 2355–2362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kochakian, C.D. (1973). Hypotaurine: regulation of production in seminal vesicles and prostate of guinea-pig by testosterone. Nature, 241, 202–203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koyama, I. (1972). Amino acids in the cobalt-induced epileptogenic and nonepileptogenic cat’s cortex. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 50, 740–752.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lähdesmäki, P. and Oja, S.S. (1973). On the mechanism of taurine transport at brain cell membranes. Journal of Neurochemistry, 20, 1411–1417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLardy, T. (1974). Prolonged blockage by taurine of dentalo-hippocampus synapses in rats. International Research Communications Synopsis, 2. 1696.Google Scholar
Mutani, R., Bergamini, L., Delsedime, M. and Durelli, L. (1974a). Effects of taurine in chronic experimental epilepsy. Brain Research. 79, 330–332.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mutani, R., Bergamini, L., Fariello, R. and Delsedime, M. (1974b). Effects of taurine on cortical acute epileptic foci. Brain Research, 70, 170–173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oja, S.S., Karvonen, M.L., and Lähdesmäki, P. (1973). Biosynthesis of taurine and enhancement of decarboxylation of cysteine sulphinate and glutamate by the electrical stimulation of rat brain slices. Brain Research, 55, 173–178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pasantes-Morales, H., Klethi, J., Ledig, M. and Mandel, P. (1973a). Influence of light and dark in the free amino acid pattern of the developing chick retina. Brain Research, 57, 59–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pasantes-Morales, H., Urban, P.F., Klethi, J. and Mandel, P. (1973b). Light stimulated release of 35S-taurine from chicken retina. Brain Research, 51, 375–378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perry, T.L., Hansen, S., Berry, K., Mok, C. and Lesk, D. (1971). Free amino acids and related compounds in biopsies of human brain. Journal of Neurochemistry, 18, 521–528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perry, T.L., Hansen, S., Sokol, S. and Wada, J.A. (1972). Amino acids in brain biopsies of epileptogenic foci. Clinical Research, 20, 949.Google Scholar
Scaragli, G. and Pavan, F. (1972). Effect of aminoacid compounds injected into cerebrospinal fluid spaces on colonic temperature, arterial blood pressure and behavior of the rat. Neuropharmacology, 11, 45–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sieghart, W. and Karobath, M. (1974). Evidence for specific synaptosomal localization of exogenous accumulated taurine. Journal of Neurochemistry, 23, 911–915.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sugihara, H., Nagasawa, S. and Okabe, H. (1936). Experimentelle und klinische untersuchungen über taurin. Klinische Wochenschrift, 15, 751–756.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thursby, M.H. and Nevis, A.H. (1974). Anticonvulsant activity of taurine in electrically and osmotically induced seizures in mice and rats. Federation Proceedings, 33, 1494.Google Scholar
Tsukada, Y., Inoue, N., Donaldson, J. and Barbeau, A. (1974). Suppressive effects of various aminoacids against ouabain-induced seizures in rats. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 1, 214–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, F.P. and Blum, V.C. (1964). The urinary excretion of free taurine in acute and chronic disease, following surgical trauma, and in patients with acute alcoholism. Journal of Surgical Research, 4, 423–431.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Gelder, N.M. (1972). Antagonism by taurine of cobalt-induced epilepsy in cat and mouse. Brain Research, 47, 157,165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Gelder, N.M. and Courtois, A. (1972). Close correlation between changing content of specific amino acids in epileptogenic cortex of cats and severity of epilepsy. Brain Research, 43, 477–484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Gelder, N.M., Sherwin, A.L. and Rasmussen, T. (1972). Amino acid content of epileptogenic human brain: focal versus surrounding regions. Brain Research, 40, 385–393.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Welty, J.D. and Read, W.O. (1964). Studies on some cardiac effects of taurine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 144, 110–115.Google ScholarPubMed