Depletion of Taurine in Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy: Implications for Nerve Metabolic, Vascular, and Functional Deficits

Dissection of Metabolic, Vascular, and Nerve Conduction Interrelationships in Experimental Diabetic Neuropathy by Cyclooxygenase Inhibition and Acetyl-l-Carnitine Administration

“…The Na ϩ -dependent uptake mechanisms for MI and taurine (72,73) and their efflux via volume-sensitive organic osmolyte channels are critically regulated by signal transduction pathways. Depletion of intracellular MI may impair activation of protein kinase C (PKC) in some diabetic tissues, including the neuron (6), whereas depletion of taurine in diabetes (17,18,45) may contribute to oxidative stress (18,45), intracellular calcium overload, and activation of PKC (74). Regulation of nerve organic osmolytes is more complex than originally proposed, since levels of both MI and taurine in the nerve have been shown to be altered by ALC (33), oxidative stress (64), and now COX-pathway activity, in addition to the osmotic consequences of sorbitol accumulation (17).…”

“…Measurement of endoneurial nutritive NBF by microelectrode polarography and hydrogen clearance. In experiments 2 and 4, endoneurial nutritive NBF was assessed by hydrogen clearance as previously described (40,45) in rats anesthetized with an i.p. injection of urethane (1 g/kg).…”

System β and System A amino acid transporters in the feline endotheliochorial placenta

“…Western blot analysis using a polyclonal antitaurine transporter antibody detected a 69-kDa protein in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (38). Ramamoorthy et al (39) reported that their hTAUT clone (ϳ70 kDa) may correspond to a high-affinity transporter.…”

Pharmacological Value of Caffeine, Taurine and Arginine in Nutritional Supplements and their Relation to Well Known Socially Important Diseases

“…Mice with genetic taurine deficiency had a nearly complete depletion of skeletal and cardiac muscle taurine levels and a reduction of more than 80% of exercise capacity compared to control mice. Taurine reverses neurological and neurovascular deficits in experimental type 2 diabetic rats by influencing defects in nerve blood flow, changing the motor nerve conduction velocity, and nerve sensory thresholds [48,49]. Again in diabetic rats, taurine is found to decreases significantly weight and blood sugar [50].…”