Taurine

Arsenic is one of the most common metalloid contaminants in groundwater and it has both acute and chronic toxicity affecting multiple organs. Details of the mechanism of arsenic toxicity are still lacking and profile studies at metabolic level are very limited. Using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), we first generated metabolomic profiles from the livers of arsenic-treated zebrafish and identified 34 significantly altered metabolite peaks as potential markers, including four prominent ones: cholic acid, glycylglycine, glycine and hypotaurine. Combined results from GC/MS, histological examination and pathway analyses suggested a series of alterations, including apoptosis, glycogenolysis, changes in amino acid metabolism and fatty acid composition, accumulation of bile acids and fats, and disturbance in glycolysis related energy metabolism. The alterations in glycolysis partially resemble Warburg effect commonly observed in many cancer cells. However, cellula...

1Cyclosporine A (CsA) is the first-line immunosuppressant used for the management of solid organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases. Nephrotoxicity is the major limitation of CsA use. Recent evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in mediating CsA-induced hypertension and nephrotoxicity. Taurine, the major intracellular free β-amino acid, is known to be an endogenous anti-oxidant and membrane-stabilizing agent. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of taurine on CsA-induced oxidative stress, hypertension and renal dysfunction.2Animals were assigned into four groups of seven rats each as follows: (i) control group, receiving vehicle (olive oil; 1 mL/kg, s.c.); (ii) CsA group, given CsA (25 mg/kg per day, s.c.) for 21 days; (iii) taurine group, supplemented with taurine (1% in the drinking water); and (iv) taurine + CsA group, treated with taurine 3 days before and concurrently during CsA injections for 21 days.3Cyclosporine A administration elevated blood pressure, reduced serum nitric oxide (NO) levels and deteriorated renal function, as assessed by increased serum creatinine levels and proteinuria and reduced urine flow rate and creatinine clearance compared with vehicle-treated rats. Cyclosporine A induced oxidative stress, as indicated by increased renal tissue concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and reduced concentrations of renal glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Conversely, no change was noted in renal catalase activity. Moreover, the kidneys of CsA-treated rats showed interstitial inflammation and renal tubular atrophy.4Taurine markedly reduced elevated blood pressure, attenuated renal dysfunction and the reduction in serum NO levels and counteracted the deleterious effects of CsA on oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, taurine ameliorated CsA-induced morphological changes.5These data clearly indicate the protective potential of taurine against CsA-induced hypertension and nephrotoxicity and suggest a significant contribution of its anti-oxidant property to this beneficial effect.Cyclosporine A (CsA) is the first-line immunosuppressant used for the management of solid organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases. Nephrotoxicity is the major limitation of CsA use. Recent evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in mediating CsA-induced hypertension and nephrotoxicity. Taurine, the major intracellular free β-amino acid, is known to be an endogenous anti-oxidant and membrane-stabilizing agent. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of taurine on CsA-induced oxidative stress, hypertension and renal dysfunction.Animals were assigned into four groups of seven rats each as follows: (i) control group, receiving vehicle (olive oil; 1 mL/kg, s.c.); (ii) CsA group, given CsA (25 mg/kg per day, s.c.) for 21 days; (iii) taurine group, supplemented with taurine (1% in the drinking water); and (iv) taurine + CsA group, treated with taurine 3 days before and concurrently during CsA injections for 21 days.Cyclosporine A administration elevated blood pressure, reduced serum nitric oxide (NO) levels and deteriorated renal function, as assessed by increased serum creatinine levels and proteinuria and reduced urine flow rate and creatinine clearance compared with vehicle-treated rats. Cyclosporine A induced oxidative stress, as indicated by increased renal tissue concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and reduced concentrations of renal glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Conversely, no change was noted in renal catalase activity. Moreover, the kidneys of CsA-treated rats showed interstitial inflammation and renal tubular atrophy.Taurine markedly reduced elevated blood pressure, attenuated renal dysfunction and the reduction in serum NO levels and counteracted the deleterious effects of CsA on oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, taurine ameliorated CsA-induced morphological changes.These data clearly indicate the protective potential of taurine against CsA-induced hypertension and nephrotoxicity and suggest a significant contribution of its anti-oxidant property to this beneficial effect.

0 Previous studies showed that the in situ absorption of baclofen in rat jejunum was inhibited by -alanine, a nonessential amino acid, and therefore mediated, at least in part, by some -amino acid carrier. In this paper a similar study was undertaken using taurine, a sulfonic -amino acid, in order to evaluate its effect and to establish a general inhibition model. To achieve this goal, remaining concentrations of inhibitor were also measured and incorporated into the model. Previously, kinetic absorption in situ parameters for taurine in free solution were obtained: V m ) 27.73 ± 9.99 mM h -1 , K m ) 8.06 ± 2.82 mM, k a (passive difussion component) ) 0.40 ± 0.28 h -1 . Isotonic solutions containing 0.5 mM baclofen with starting taurine concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 mM were perfused in rat jejunum, and the remaining concentrations of both compounds were measured. The apparent rate pseudoconstant of the drug clearly decreased as the remaining taurine concentration increased. The interaction can be described as a complete competitive inhibition plus a second component, K, noninhibited, K ) 0.58 (±0.03) h -1 , K i ) 20.62 (±4.04) mM, V mi ) 28.12 (±6.12) mM h -1 , K mi ) 11.71 (±2.53) mM, k ai ) 0.47 (±0.10) h -1 . A residual absorption of baclofen in the presence of high taurine concentrations was observed, which should be attributed to another transport system not associated with the taurine carrier. In order to elucidate whether or not taurine and -alanine carriers are two separate entities that baclofen can use for absorption, further experiments using -alanine and taurine together as inhibitors (baclofen, 0.5 mM; -alanine, 50 mM, and taurine, 50 mM) were developed. Results indicated that baclofen and both amino acids share the same carrier in the intestinal absorption process. We have completed studies using leucine, taurine, and GABA together as inhibitors of drug absorption. An isotonic perfusion solution of 0.5 mM baclofen in the presence of 50 mM leucine, 25 mM taurine, and 25 mM GABA was perfused. Under these conditions the absorption rate pseudoconstant of baclofen decreases until 0.080 h -1 (±0.069). Practical implications of these phenomena are briefly discussed.

Background: Amino acid neurotransmitters represent a major class of compounds that are involved in neuronal communication at CNS synapses. Methods: Twelve amino acids were separated after precolumn derivatization with dansyl chloride. The biologically important amino acids, taurine, aspartate, glutamate, glycine, alanine and g-aminobutyric acid were determined in rat brain tissue and rabbit plasma. Results: The major modifications to previous methods included isocratic elution instead of gradient elution to reduce time and cost of serial analyses; optimization of mobile phase to improve the separation of free dansyl with derivatives, so as to elide complex steps for the clean of the chromatogram; and selection of an internal standard (Trazodone) to improve the reproducibility and the reliability of procedures. Twelve amino acids were assayed within 35 min. Other a-amino acids that are relevant to the make-up of mammalian proteins did not interfere with the determination. The standard curve, recovery, analytical precision and detection limits for each neuroactive amino acid were determined. Conclusion: This assay separated 12 amino acids in a single run. Six neuroactive amino acids were also simultaneous measured by isocratic HPLC with UV detection. The method is applicable in determination of Tau, Glu, Asp, Gly, Ala and GABA in biological samples. D

Plasma taurine concentrations were determined in 76 dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 28 dogs with acquired valvular disease (AVD), and 47 normal (control) dogs. The data were collected at 2 referral centers, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY (AMC), and the University of California, Davis (UCD), and the studies were conducted independently. Different anticoagulants (sodium citrate at AMC and lithium heparin at UCD) were used to collect the plasma samples. Paired analysis of samples showed a significant difference in plasma taurine concentrations, depending on the anticoagulant used. Consequently, results from each clinic were analyzed separately. Plasma taurine concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with AVD (median, 133 nmol/mL; range, 25 to 229 nmol/mL) than in control dogs (median, 63 nmol/ml; range 44 to 224 nmol/mL) and dogs with DCM (median, 72 nmol/ mL; range, 1 to247 nmol/mL) at AMC (P< .001). Thenumber of dogs with AVD at UCD was too small to draw meaningful conclusions. At UCD, the median plasma taurine concentration was 98 nmol/mL (range, 28-1 69 nmol/mL) aurine (Zaminoethane sulfonic acid) is the most abun-

Substance use disorder is common in patients with schizophrenia and dramatically worsens their outcome. The typical antipsychotic medications, introduced more than 50 years ago, are effective for the treatment of psychosis but may have only limited efficacy in patients with these co-occurring disorders because patients continue to use substances while taking them. In preliminary studies, however, several of the atypical antipsychotic medications have shown promise for reducing alcohol and drug use in patients with schizophrenia. A neurobiological formulation is discussed, suggesting that the use of substances in patients with schizophrenia may be based on a dysfunction within the dopamine-mediated brain reward circuitry and that clozapine, in particular, may potentially ameliorate this dysfunction and lessen the desire for substance use. Medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorders, such as disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate, as well as other adjunctive medications, may also be useful. Further studies are required to establish a solid evidence base of best practices for the use of medications in these patients. D

The release of the amino acids GABA, taurine, glycine, glutamine and leucine from human neocortex was investigated in vitro by utilizing brain tissue removed during 8 standard temporal lobectomies for epilepsy or tumor. Slices (0.5 mm thick) were cut from each biopsy and randomly placed in three different chambers. After 90 min preincubation, the three sets of slices were incubated for 60 s in wells containing, respectively, (A) regular ACSF (control), (B) ACSF with 50 mM K + (to depolarize the cell membrane) and (C) ACSF with 50 mM K +, 0 mM Ca 2. and 4 mM Mg 2÷ (depolarization during blocked synaptic transmission). The content of amino acids in the wells was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography after pre-column derivatization of the amino acids with o-phthalaldehyde. Membrane depolarization (well B) increased the GABA release to 650% (620 pmol/mg) of control (well A, 95 pmol/mg). Blocking synaptic transmission (well C) reduced the evoked release by 50% (360 pmol/mg). The release of glycine, taurine, glutamine and leucine during membrane depolarization was not significantly different from the control values. The data provide evidence for a Ca2+-dependent release of GABA, supporting a possible role of this amino acid as a neurotransmitter in human neocortex.

Infrequent exercise, typically involving eccentric actions, has been shown to cause oxidative stress and to damage muscle tissue. High taurine levels are present in skeletal muscle and may play a role in cellular defences against free radical-mediated damage. This study investigates the effects of taurine supplementation on oxidative stress biomarkers after eccentric exercise (EE). Twenty-four male rats were divided into the following groups (n ¼ 6): control; EE; EE plus taurine (EE þ Taurine); EE plus saline (EE þ Saline). Taurine was administered as a 1-ml 300 mg kg À1 per body weight (BW) day À1 solution in water by gavage, for 15 consecutive days. Starting on the 14th day of supplementation, the animals were submitted to one 90-min downhill run session and constant velocity of 1Á0 km h À1 . Forty-eight hours after the exercise session, the animals were killed and the quadriceps muscles were surgically removed. Production of superoxide anion, creatine kinase (CK) levels, lipoperoxidation, carbonylation, total thiol content and antioxidant enzyme were analysed. Taurine supplementation was found to decrease superoxide radical production, CK, lipoperoxidation and carbonylation levels and increased total thiol content in skeletal muscle, but it did not affect antioxidant enzyme activity after EE. The present study suggests that taurine affects skeletal muscle contraction by decreasing oxidative stress, in association with decreased superoxide radical production.

The first-pass metabolism of dietary sulfur amino acids by the liver and the robust upregulation of hepatic cysteine dioxygenase activity in response to an increase in dietary protein or sulfur amino acid level gives the liver a primary role in the removal of excess cysteine and in the synthesis of taurine. Hepatic taurine synthesis is largely restricted by the low availability of cysteinesulfinate as substrate for cysteinesulfinate decarboxylase, and taurine production is increased when cysteinesulfinate increases in response to an increase in the hepatic cysteine concentration and the associated increase in cysteine dioxygenase activity. The upregulation of cysteine dioxygenase in the presence of cysteine is a consequence of diminished ubiquitination of cysteine dioxygenase and a slower rate of degradation by the 26S proteasome.

Although taurine is not dietarily essential for dogs, taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are sporadically reported in large-breed dogs. Taurine status and husbandry were examined in 216 privately owned Newfoundlands, a giant dog breed with high incidence of idiopathic DCM (1.3-2.5%). Plasma taurine concentration was positively correlated (P &lt; 0.01) with plasma cyst(e)ine (r = 0.37) and methionine (r = 0.35) concentrations and was similar across age, sex, neutering status, body weight, and body-condition scores. Plasma taurine concentration was low (&lt; or =40 micromol/L) in 8% of dogs. Dogs with low plasma taurine were older, less active, had more medical problems and treatments, and had lower plasma albumin, cyst(e)ine, tryptophan, and alpha-amino-n-butyric acid concentrations than the other dogs (P &lt; 0.05). Of 9 taurine-deficient, clinically evaluated dogs, 3 had DCM that was reversed by taurine supplementation and 1 had retinal degeneration. When given a d...

Shallow-living marine invertebrates use free amino acids as cellular osmolytes, while most teleosts use almost no organic osmolytes. Recently we found unusual osmolyte compositions in deep-sea animals. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) increases with depth in muscles of some teleosts, skates, and crustaceans (up to 300 mmolykg at 2900 m). Other deep-sea animals had high levels of (1) scyllo-inositol in echinoderms, gastropods, and polychaetes, (2) that polyol plus b-alanine and betaine in octopods, (3) hypotaurine, N-methyltaurine, and unidentified methylamines in vestimentiferans from hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, and (4) a depth-correlated serine-phosphate osmolyte in vesicomyid clams from trench seeps. We hypothesize that some of these solutes counteract effects of hydrostatic pressure. With lactate dehydrogenase, actin, and pyruvate kinase, 250 mM TMAO (but not glycine) protected both ligand binding and protein stability against pressure. To test TMAO in living cells, we grew yeast under pressure. After 1 h at 71 MPa, 3.5 h at 71 MPa, and 17 h at 30 MPa, 150 mM TMAO generally doubled the number of cells that formed colonies. Sulfur-based osmolytes which are not correlated with depth, such as hypotaurine and thiotaurine, are probably involved in sulfide metabolism and detoxification. Thus deep-sea osmolytes may have at least two other roles beyond acting as simple compatible osmotica. ᮊ

So-called energy drinks with very high amounts of taurine (up to 4000 mg/l are usually granted by certificates of exemption) are increasingly offered on the market. To control the currently valid maximum limits of taurine in energy drinks, a simple and rapid analytical method is required to use it routinely in food monitoring. In this article, we describe a fast and efficient analytical method (FTIR-spectroscopy) that is able to reliably characterize and quantify taurine in energy drinks. The determination of taurine in energy drinks by FTIR was compared with amino acid analyzer (ion chromatography with ninhydrin-postcolumn derivatization). During analysis of 80 energy drinks, a median concentration of 3180 mg/l was found in alcohol-free products, 314 mg/l in energy drinks with spirits, 151 mg/l in beer-containing drinks and 305 mg/l in beverages with wine. Risk analysis of these products is difficult due to the lack of valid toxicological information about taurine and its interferences with other ingredients of energy drinks (for example caffeine and alcohol). So far, the high taurine concentrations of energy drinks in comparison to the rest of the diet are scientifically doubtful, as the advertised physiological effects and the value of supplemented taurine are unproven.

Energy drinks have increased in popularity in recent years due to the claimed energy boost provided by functional ingredients. A multitude of functional ingredients have been utilized; however, there is limited research on their sensory effects in energy drink formulations. A 13-member descriptive analysis panel was conducted to investigate the effects on the sensory and rheological properties of 3 common functional ingredients-caffeine, ginseng, and taurine-in a noncarbonated model energy drink solution. Combinations of these functional ingredients at 3 levels (low, medium, high) were added to create a total of 27 different solutions (3 × 3 × 3 factorial design). Analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the sensory effects of the varying concentrations of functional ingredients in solution. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to summarize the relationship among the attributes and solutions. In general, high levels of caffeine in solution resulted in low ratings of fruity attributes and high ratings of bitter tea and fruit bitter attributes. The high level of ginseng in solution was characterized by high ratings of bitter attributes. A horns effect was observed as the sweet, artificial lemon-lime, pear, mango, and pineapple attributes were rated lower in intensity with increased ginseng levels. Taurine levels of up to 416 mg/100 mL had no significant effect on the sensory attribute ratings of the model energy drink solutions. These findings can be utilized to predict the changes in sensory characteristics when formulating energy drinks containing these popular functional ingredients.

A rapid and highly sensitive method for the determination of acamprosate (ACM), in human plasma using ESI-LC-MS/MS (electrospray ionization liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) in negative ionization polarity in multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode was developed and validated. The procedure involves a simple protein precipitation step. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a Hypersil BDS C 18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with an isocratic mobile phase and a total run time of 2.5 min. The standard calibration curves were linear within the range of 7.04-702.20 ng/mL for ACM (r ≥ 0.990). This study briefly describes the role of ion source design on matrix effects. ACM shows matrix effects in z-spray ionization source design, whereas it has no matrix effects in orthogonal spray ion source design. This method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of acamprosate 333 mg tablet in Indian healthy male volunteers.

Las corridas de toros en la república de Colombia han estado presentes desde los inicios “independentistas” hasta nuestros días. Es más, estuvieron vigentes aun en los periodos “coloniales”; desde la llegada de las primeras huestes, hasta el arribo de notables funcionarios peninsulares. Sin embargo, las lidias de toros no han estado exentas de acciones restrictivas y prohibitivas a lo largo de la historia del país. Por ende, este escrito datará el listado de las prohibiciones más importantes originadas en Colombia, mientras se contextualizan política e históricamente estas acciones sobre una práctica antigua y de arraigo. Y ya al final del texto, se tocará la última prohibición en la capital y se hará ver lo improcedente de la misma desde el punto de vista histórico, jurídico, político y cultural.

A sensitive, selective, and specific assay was needed to study the degradation kinetics of taurolidine and its stabilization by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of the chromotropic acid method and other formaldehyde or amine derivatization methods. The methods evaluated included formaldehyde derivatization with chromotropic acid, acetylacetone, 4-amino-5-hydrazino-3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, semicarbazide hydrochloride, or 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and taurolidine decomposition product derivatization with dansylchloride or 7-chloro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole chloride. Results indicated that the chromotropic acid method provided sufficient selectivity, reproducibility and sensitivity. It was able to quench taurultam decomposition and avoided PVP interference. The method was optimized by performance based selection of reagent lots, appropriate reagent storage and preparation, and controlled derivatization conditions. In conclusion, the optimized chromotropic method was the most appropriate method for quantitating taurolidine decomposition. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

Acamprosate and its efficacy in treating alcohol dependent adolescents I Abstract Background About 50 % of adult alcoholic patients relapse within 3 months of treatment. Previous studies have suggested that acamprosate may help to prevent such relapse. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy and safety of long-term acamprosate treatment in alcohol dependence of adolescents. Methods

The aim of this study was to determine the taurine content in a variety of animal feeds. There is very little information on the taurine content of ingredients used in homeprepared diets for dogs and cats, and foods fed to wild animals in captivity. This study reports the taurine content of both common and alternative feed ingredients, and compares taurine loss as a result of different methods of food preparation. Foods were selected based on their use in commercial and home-prepared diets. Animal muscle tissue, particularly marine, contained high taurine concentrations. Plant products contained either low or undetectable amounts of taurine. The amount of taurine that remained in a feed ingredient after cooking depended upon the method of food preparation. When an ingredient was constantly surrounded by water during the cooking process, such as in boiling or basting, more taurine was lost. Food preparation methods that minimized water loss, such as baking or frying, had higher rates of taurine retention.

and Pulverenti, TS. Acute ingestion of sugar-free red bull energy drink has no effect on upper body strength and muscular endurance in resistance trained men. J Strength Cond Res 27(8): 2248-2254, 2013-Consumption of energy drinks by both recreational and competitive athletes has increased dramatically in recent years. The primary ingredients in many energy drinks include caffeine (CAF) in various forms and taurine. The purpose of this randomized, doubleblind, crossover study was to examine the effect of sugar-free (SF) Red Bull (RB) containing CAF and taurine to a CAF only drink and a SF CAF-free placebo (PL) on 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press (BP) and the volume load (VL; repetitions 3 kg at 70% 1RM) during one BP set to failure in experienced lifters. Seventeen college-age men randomly received the following: (A) 500 mL of SF-RB containing CAF (160 mg) and taurine (2000 mg); (B) 500 mL of a SF drink containing CAF only (160 mg); or (C) a SF CAF-free 500 mL PL drink 60 minutes before testing on 3 separate occasions. After a standard warm-up, the 1RM was determined for each subject and, after 5 minutes rest, they completed repetitions to failure at 70% of their 1RM to assess VL. Differences between trials for 1RM BP and the VL were identified using repeated measures analysis of variance (p , 0.05). The results indicated that neither SF-RB nor the CAF drink had any effect on 1RM BP (115.13 6 16.19 kg and 114.87 6 16.16 kg, respectively) or VL (1173.08 6 170.66 kg and 1164.14 6 147.03 kg, respectively) compared with PL (1RM = 114.07 6 16.09 kg; VL = 1141.46 6 193.41 kg). Although the CAF content in the energy drinks used in the present study was low (;2.0 mg/kg), the finding of no effect of the CAF containing energy drinks for 1RM BP are in agreement with previous studies using intakes up to 6.0 mg/kg. These findings suggest that SF-RB has no effect on upper body 1RM strength or VL in resistance trained men. Figure 1. Bench press repetitions completed by individual subjects, whose initials appear on the x axis. CAF = caffeine only; PL = placebo; RB = sugar-free Red Bull; Reps, repetitons. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research the TM | www.nsca.com

400 MHz 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used in the context of food surveillance to control the regulatory limits of selected constituents of energy drinks. The preparation of the samples required only degassing, addition of 0.1 % of TSP in D2O for locking and referencing and phosphate buffer (pH 4.0) for chemical shifts adjustment. The quantification of caffeine, glucuronolactone, taurine and inositol was simultaneously possible using external calibration curves and applying TSP as internal standard. The applicability of the method was proven by analysis of 73 samples of energy drinks. The average caffeine concentration was 0.30 g/L, which is below the maximum limit of 0.32 g/L.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the changes in haematological parameters from copper sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O) exposed African catfish, Clarias gariepinus with or without simultaneous treatment of water with taurine or garlic extract. Fishes of average weight 98.43± 24.09 g and length 20.5±2.5 cm were selected as test organisms in this study. Fishes were divided into seven groups (I to VII) containing 20 fishes in each group. Significant decrease was reported in the values of Hb concentration, RBC count and PCV in the copper sulphate (4 and 8 ppm) exposed fishes both in respect to con-centration and exposure. The erythrocyte indices MCV, MCH showed significant increase in their values by copper sulphate concentrations when compared to the control group, while MCHC decreased non-significantly (P>0.05) throughout the experimental period. Prevalence of slightly higher values of Hb content, RBC count and PCV and minimum alterations in erythrocyte indices were reported in the blood of copper sulphate treated fish along with 5 ppm each of taurine or garlic extract in comparison to groups treated with copper sulphate alone, however values were still altered when compared with control group I. The reduction in copper induced toxicity on haematological parameters was highest in taurine treated groups followed by garlic extract treatment. The results suggest that taurine and garlic extract have potential to partly mitigate the copper induced stress by modulating the deranged haematological parameters.

Manning, MD (moderator) Seattle WA; Boston MA; Little Rock AR; New York NY; Little Rock AR; Seattle WA Vascular anomalies of the head and neck frequently pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Over the past decade, a number of new methods for accurate diagnosis and classification of vascular anomalies have been developed. These methods use a combination of molecular biology and imaging studies to validate clinical signs of vascular lesions, ultimately allowing improved diagnostic capability. This capa-

Background: Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients, contributing to prolonged hospital stays and increased costs. Whether taurolidine lock solutions (TLS) are beneficial for the prevention of CRBSIs remains controversial. In this meta-analysis, we aim to assess the efficacy of TLS for preventing CRBSIs.

Extensive application of pesticides is usually accompanied with serious problems of pollution
and health hazards. Lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT), a type II synthetic pyrethroid, is widely used
in agriculture, home pest control and protection of foodstuff. This study designed to evaluate
the dose dependent haematological, hepatic and gonadal toxicity of LCT at different dose
levels in Wistar rat. Investigations were also done to find out the toxic effect of lambda cyhalothrin
on lipid metabolism in female rat and its amelioration by taurine. Rats were exposed
to different doses of lambda cyhalothrin over a period of 14 consecutive days. Exposure to
LCT produced ataxia, agitation, rolling and also tremors which were considered as the signs
of toxicity. Significant decrease in erythrocyte count, haemoglobin percentage, seminal fructose
concentration, hepatic and testicular reduced glutathione (GSH) content was observed.
Increase in leukocyte count, serum aspartic and alanine transaminase, hepatic and testicular
malondialdehyde (MDA), testicular and ovarian cholesterol after LCT treatment were seen in
male rats at the dose level of 10.83 mg/kg body wt. (1/7th LD50). Elevated ovarian cholesterol
and MDA and reduced 3β hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (HSD) and GSH level were also
observed in lambda cyhalothrin exposed female rat at the dose level of 6.29 mg/kg body wt.
(1/9th LD50). LCT caused increase in serum triglyceride, cholesterol, low density lipoproteins
(LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and bilirubin and decrease in serum high density
lipoproteins (HDL) in female rat. Taurine pretreatment ameliorated LCT induced altered lipid
metabolic biomarkers in female rat.

The present study was undertaken to investigate modulatory effects of taurine on the nephrotoxicity of TAM with special reference to protection against disruption of nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants. Oxidative stress was measured by renal lipid peroxidation (LPO) level, protein carbonyl (PC) content, reduced glutathione (GSH), activities of phase I and II drug metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes. TAM treatment resulted in a significant (P Ͻ 0.001) increase in LPO in kidney tissues as compared to control, while taurine pretreatment showed a significant decrease (P Ͻ 0.01) in the LPO in kidneys when compared with the TAM-treated group.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of L-carnitine (LC), hypotaurine (HT), and taurine (T) on the quality of frozen-thawed chicken semen. Pooled semen samples were divided into seven aliquots (control, 1 mM LC, 5 mM LC, 1 mM HT, 10 mM HT, 1 mM T, and 10 mM T) and subjected to cryopreservation. Postthaw sperm motility was determined by IVOS system and sperm characteristics were assessed with fluorochromes and flow cytometry. The highest sperm motility and the highest percentage of viable sperm were in the HT1 group (P&lt;0.01 and P&lt;0.05) following cryopreservation. After thawing, we observed a higher percentage of sperm without apoptosis and membrane reorganization changes in the LC1 and T1 group when compared to the control (P&lt;0.05). There was a higher percentage of live sperm without lipid peroxidation (LPO) in all treatments (P&lt;0.01; P&lt;0.05), when compared to the control group. The percentage of sperm with high mitochondrial potential significantl...

The present study was aimed to investigate the mechanistic aspect of endosulfan toxicity and its protection by taurine in rat testes. Pre-treatment with taurine (100 mg/kg/day) significantly reversed the decrease in testes weight, and the reduction in sperm count, motility, viability and daily sperm production in endosulfan (5 mg/kg/day)-treated rats. Sperm chromatin integrity and epididymal L-carnitine were markedly decreased by endosulfan treatment. Endosulfan significantly decreased the level of serum testosterone and testicular 3b-HSD, 17b-HSD, G6PDH and LDH-X. Sperm Dwm and mitochondrial cytochrome c content were significantly decreased after endosulfan. Testicular caspases-3, -8 and -9 activities were significantly increased but taurine showed significant protection from endosulfan-induced apoptosis. Oxidative stress was induced by endosulfan treatment as evidenced by increased H 2 O 2 level and LPO and decreased the antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT and GPx activities and GSH content. These alterations were effectively prevented by taurine pre-treatment.