Effects of the taurine transport antagonist, guanidinoethane sulfonate, and beta-alanine on the morphology of rat retina.
Newborn rats treated for the first weeks of life with guanidinoethane sulfonate (GES), a blocker of taurine transport producing taurine depletion, showed a severe disruption of photoreceptor structure. Photoreceptor damage consisted of a marked reduction of the size of the photoreceptor layer, deformation of the outer segments, and a profound disorganization of the disc membranes. The GES-induced degeneration pattern was very similar to that observed in cats fed a taurine-deficient diet. Injection of beta-alanine, another antagonist of taurine transport, also produced a disruption of photoreceptor structure. These results confirm the requirement of taurine for maintaining photoreceptor structure in different species.
D000409:Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015091:beta-Alanine; D013654:Taurine; C009558:taurocyamine; D000409:Alanine