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Science 18 December 1981:
Vol. 214. no. 4527, pp. 1373 - 1374
DOI: 10.1126/science.7313699
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Articles

Science, Vol 214, Issue 4527, 1373-1374
Copyright © 1981 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Taurine: possible role in osmotic regulation of mammalian heart

JH Thurston, RE Hauhart, and EF Naccarato

It is well established that taurine plays an important role in the maintenance of intracellular osmolal concentration in marine invertebrates, teleosts, and amphibians. In fresh water, concentrations of taurine in body tissues decrease; in salt water, they increase. In this study with mice we found that during adaptation of these mammals to chronic hypernatremia, the taurine content of the heart increased; concentrations of other amino acids were unchanged or were decreased. Welty and his associated have shown that acute hyponatremia lowered the taurine concentration of rat heart. In concert, these data suggest that taurine also may serve as an osmotic agent in mammalian heart.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Myocardial failure in cats associated with low plasma taurine: a reversible cardiomyopathy.
P. Pion, M. Kittleson, Q. Rogers, and J. Morris (1987)
Science 237, 764-768
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