title: Taurine levels in discrete brain nuclei of rats.
abstract: Concentrations of taurine have been measured in 44 microdissected rat brain nuclei or areas. Taurine is ubiquitously present and distributed unevenly in the rat brain: the ratio of the highest (pyriform cortex) to lowest (midbrain reticular formation) concentrations is 4.7:1. High taurine levels were found in cerebral cortical areas, caudate-putamen, cerebellum, median eminence, and supraoptic nucleus. Acute pain stress reduced taurine levels in the hypothalamus and the lower brainstem nuclei but not in cortical areas. Increased locomotor and behavioral activities following a high dose of amphetamine elevated taurine concentrations significantly in the substantia nigra and locus ceruleus.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013654:Taurine / Q000032:analysis*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D013654:Taurine