Acrylonitrile (ACN) is a volatile, toxic liquid used as a monomer in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, styrene plastics, acrylic fiber and adhesives. ACN is a potent neurotoxin and a carcinogen, which produces tumors in rats, particularly gliomas of the brain. A role for free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation in the toxicity of ACN has been suggested. We examined the ability of taurine, an...

Sulfur is an essential element for the entire biological kingdom because of its incorporation into amino acids, proteins and other biomolecules. Sulfur atoms are also important in the iron-containing flavoenzymes. Unlike humans, plants can use inorganic sulfur to synthesize sulfur-containing amino acids. Therefore, plants are an important source of sulfur for humans. Sulfur-containing compounds...

A retrospective study was conducted to determine dietary taurine concentrations in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and to compare the clinical outcome of taurine-deficient and non-taurine-deficient dogs. Taurine concentrations were low in blood samples from 20 of 37 dogs with DCM. Median dietary taurine concentration was not significantly different between taurine-deficient and nondefici...

The oxidation of the sulfinic group of both hypotaurine and cysteine sulfinic acid with production of the respective sulfonate, taurine and cysteic acid is a crucial point for the generation of taurine in mammalian tissues (Wright et al., 1986; Huxtable, 1992). It has been proposed that the high levels of taurine found in tissues or cells such as sperm, neutrophils and retinal tissue (Pasantes-...

Although taurine has been shown to play multiple important physiological roles in teleosts, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying dietary requirements. Cell lines can provide useful tools for deciphering biosynthetic pathways and their regulation. However, culture media and sera contain variable taurine levels. To provide a useful cell line for the investigation of taurine h...

Contemporary research has found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit aberrant immunological function, a shift toward increased cytokine production and unusual cell function. Microglia astroglia were to be significantly activated in immuno-cytochemical studies, analysis revealed the macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor ? (TN...

To explore the relationship between whole-body taurine status and function, the taurine concentration in plasma and platelets was measured and evaluated in terms of ex vivo collagen-induced platelet aggregation in taurine-depleted cats and taurine-supplemented humans. Taurine status exerted a significant effect on platelet aggregability. Platelets from taurine-depleted cats were twice as sensit...

The incidence of myocardial infarction was found to be high among people of Indian origin who are living abroad. Disease of coronary artery is almost always due to atheroma and its complications. It is predicted that heart disease and stroke will become one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide by the year 2020. The Materials And Methods were All Wistar strain male albino rats...

Renal adaptation apparently contributes to the homeostasis of taurine, a beta-amino compound that behaves as a conserved metabolite in the mammal. We studied two strains of inbred mice: C3H/HeJ (low-taurine excreter) and C57BL/6J (high-taurine excreter due to impaired basolateral membrane permeability to taurine). Low-protein and low-sulfur amino acid diets fed for two weeks significantly decre...