title: The utilization of exogenous taurine for the conjugation of xenobiotic acids in the ferret.
abstract: Although the occurrence of the taurine conjugation mechanism for various xenobiotic acids is well established, nothing is known of the source of the taurine used for this conjugation. [14C]Taurine was administered alone and in combination with 2-naphthylacetic acid or clofibric acid (both of which are known to form taurine conjugates) to to ferrets, and the 0--24 h urine collected. Of the dose of [14C]taurine, 26% was recovered in the urine in 24 h and the only 14C-containing material present was unchanged taurine. When either 2-naphthylacetic acid or clofibric acid was co-administered with [14C]taurine, 21 and 17%, respectively, of the 14C dose was recovered in the 0--24 h urine. In both cases, two 14C compounds were present--unchanged taurine (minor) and the taurine conjugate of the acid in question (major). Comparison of these results with those previously obtained with 14C-labelled 2-naphthylacetic and clofibric acids, shows that the taurine used for their conjugation is derived from a pool freely accessible to exogenous taurine. The results are discussed in terms of the availability for metabolic utilization of taurine in the animal body, and of the use of co-administration of [14C]taurine with a xenobiotic acid for the identification of taurine conjugates.
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora / Q000378:metabolism*; D002995:Clofibric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000378:metabolism*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008297:Male; D009280:Naphthaleneacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D009280:Naphthaleneacetic Acids; D013654:Taurine; D002995:Clofibric Acid; C020424:2-naphthylacetic acid