Effect of Guanidinoethyl Sulfonate on Taurine Concentrations and Fetal Growth in Pregnant Rats

Ejiri, Kentaro; Akahori, S; Kudo, Karen Yurika; Sekiba, K; Ubuka, Toshihiko

doi:10.1159/000242658

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Guanidinoethane sulfonate (GES), another taurine analog and transport inhibitor, has been used to investigate the effects of taurine on fetal and neonatal growth [8]. GES administration to pregnant rats reduced both fetal and maternal taurine concentrations in the tissue, and caused a decrease in weights of fetal whole body and several organs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Taurine in Rat Milk on the Growth of Offspring.

Rho

Suzuki

et al. 2000

The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

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ABSTRACT. The physiological significance of taurine in milk in the growth of rat pups was investigated. Our results confirmed that taurine was at an exceptionally high concentration in rat milk during the lactational period, especially for the first few days after birth. Pups taking no milk from natural dams but from foster mothers at an advanced lactational period showed a slower growth rate. Intraperitoneal administration of taurine to the foster mothers in the first five days restored this growth retardation. On the other hand, intraperitoneal administration of β-alanine, a transport antagonist of taurine, to the natural dams through the lactational period induced a slower growth rate of pups. This β-alanine treatment to dams increased β-alanine concentration, but did not decrease taurine concentrations in milk, and serum taurine concentration in the pups receiving this milk was elevated. Direct administration of β-alanine to pups also increased the serum taurine concentrations dose-dependently. β-Alanine administration to pups significantly decreased [ 3 H]taurine incorporation into all the organs examined, and in contrast, [ 3 H]taurine concentrations in serum and urine were elevated. Thus, β-alanine inhibited taurine incorporation into cells and accelerated taurine excretion into either urine or milk. Serum IGF-I levels in pups receiving β-alanine either directly or via their mothers was significantly lower than those in control pups. Cumulatively, taurine ingestion from milk at an early lactational period seems critical for normal growth of rat neonates due to its role in maintaining normal serum IGF-I levels.KEY WORDS: β-alanine, growth rate, milk, rat pup, taurine.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 62 (7): [693][694][695][696][697][698] 2000 Taurine (2-aminoethane sulphonic acid) is one of the end products of sulfur metabolism, first isolated from ox bile [29], and was considered for a long time to be an inert waste product of the sulfur-containing amino acid catabolism. However, as information concerning the biological roles of taurine has accumulated, taurine has been illustrated to play many important physiological roles in animals, especially during their development. The possible functions of taurine currently proposed are as follows: conjugation of bile acids in the liver [31], improvement of fat absorption [1], maintenance of osmolarity [17], modulation of calcium levels [30], stabilization of membranes [12], antiarrhythmic activity in the heart [24], regulation of ion fluxes [7], and stimulation of sperm motility [20]. In the central nervous system, although the role of taurine is not well established, it has been proposed as a neurotransmitter or a neuromodulator [2]. In addition, taurine seems to be involved in the development of the brain, since taurine concentrations in the brain fall with development and the levels of taurine in adults is about one-third of those of neonates. This pattern has been found in many species including rats [5].Taurine is an essential amino acid for the cat because the cat has ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Taurine in Rat Milk on the Growth of Offspring.

Rho

Suzuki

et al. 2000

The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

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“…Taurine con centration in the vein blood of the fetus is on average 2.5 times higher than in the vein blood of the mother [16,17], As taurine seemingly plays an essential role in organic growth and in a certain number of physio logic functions [12,18,19], the quantity of maternal taurine transferred by the placenta could be one of the factors conditioning fetal development. This phenomenon seems to have been confirmed recently in the rat [8], These authors provoked a taurine deficiency in pregnant rats, from days 11-12 of gesta tion by using an antagonist of this amino acid, guanidinoethyl sulfonate (GES). They noted a significant fall of the taurine concen tration in the placenta (p < 0.001), the liver (p < 0.001), and the brain (p < 0.05) of the young rats.…”

Section: Commentsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…It has clearly been demon strated that the human fetus accumulates taurine during pregnancy [2][3][4], During this period of rapid growth, the fetal organism does not appear to have sufficient taurine synthesis capacities to maintain an accepta ble concentration of this sulfur compound within the tissues, notably in the brain [1,3,5], It would appear that the mother supplies taurine through a process of placental trans fer, noticeable in primates [6], This amino acid being an accepted growth factor [7], the decrease in taurine supplied by the placenta during pregnancy could affect the fetal de velopment. A study carried out on taurinedeficient rats during gestation indicates that a maternal deficiency causes a fall in the con centration of taurine in the placenta and also a significant reduction of the weight of the fetus [8]. These findings have led us to study the concentration of taurine in the placenta of women who gave birth to normal and low birth weight infants.…”

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confidence: 99%

Placental Taurine and Low Birth Weight Infants

et al. 1989

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In order to determine whether the decrease in taurine concentration in the placenta during pregnancy could affect fetal development, as has been observed in animals, we measured the concentration of taurine in placentas obtained after vaginal expulsion. 31 placentas from women with normal pregnancies of over 37 weeks who have given birth to infants of normal weight (3,200 ± 310 g) were included in the study. In addition, 26 placentas of infants considered to be hypotrophic were also included (gestation over 37 weeks, birth weight: 2,260 ± 230 g). The taurine was assayed using gaz-liquid chromatography. The concentration of taurine in the placenta was 2.80 ± 0.56 μmol/g for the placentas of normal birth weight infants and 2.40 ± 0.64 μmol/g for the placentas of hypotropic infants (p < 0.02). There is no significant correlation in normal and hypotrophic newborns between the gestation period, the weight and height at birth, the weight of the placenta, and the taurine concentration in the placenta. The taurine concentration in placentas of hypotrophic born infants is significantly reduced compared to the placentas from normal infants.

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“…Maternal taurine deficiency has been linked with the development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) [17,18] . IUGR is also associated with reduced foetal taurine concentrations in humans [19] , which are likely to be the result of reduced taurine transporter activity in the placenta [20] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taurine as a Marker for Foetal Wellbeing?

Boo¹,

Harding²

2006

Neonatology

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Background: After placental embolisation in pregnant sheep, we found elevated plasma taurine concentrations in several foetuses. These animals also had higher morbidity and mortality than foetuses with normal taurine concentrations. We therefore re-analysed our foetal growth and metabolism data with embolised animals divided into subgroups with high taurine concentrations (EH) and low taurine concentrations (EL). Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that foetal plasma taurine concentrations may be used as a marker for foetal wellbeing. Methods: Growth, metabolic and endocrine parameters were measured in normally grown foetal sheep and in those who had EH or EL after placental embolisation. Results: EH animals were more compromised than the EL animals, as shown by reductions in foetal weight and hind limb length and a failure to increase growth rate (chest girth increment) after embolisation. EH foetuses were hypoxaemic, hypoglycaemic and had increased lactate concentrations. Kidney, liver and adrenal weights were increased and thymus weight was decreased in EH animals. Maternal amino acid concentrations were elevated in EL animals. Foetal amino acid concentrations were more reduced in EH animals than in EL animals. Maternal IGF-1 concentrations were increased in EL, but not EH animals. Conclusions: Animals with EH were less able to compensate for the effects of embolisation than animals with EL. Taurine may have been released by the tissues as a protective mechanism against hypoxia-induced inflammation, or in an attempt to maintain osmotic balance. The connection between taurine and foetal wellbeing deserves further investigation.

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Effect of Guanidinoethyl Sulfonate on Taurine Concentrations and Fetal Growth in Pregnant Rats

Cited by 16 publications

References 7 publications

Effect of Taurine in Rat Milk on the Growth of Offspring.

Effect of Taurine in Rat Milk on the Growth of Offspring.

Placental Taurine and Low Birth Weight Infants

Taurine as a Marker for Foetal Wellbeing?

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