Repeated intracerebroventricular administration of taurine lowers LH levels and postpones vaginal opening in peripubertal female rats.
We investigated the effect of repeated intracerebroventricular injections of taurine (Tau, 0.15 mumol/3 microliters distilled water), administered during postnatal days 23-29, on serum LH levels, and on the hypothalamic content of LHRH and amino acid neurotransmitters (measured by HPLC and electrochemical detection) in 30-day-old female rats (n = 18). Treatment with Tau lowered serum LH (Tau: 0.20 +/- 0.04;


METHODS
1.04 +/- 0.21 ng/ml RP3; mean +/- S.E.M.; P < 0.05) as well as hypothalamic LHRH levels (Tau: 82.6 +/- 9.5; controls: 128.7 +/- 14.1 pg/mg wet tissue, P < 0.05). Tau treatment doubled hypothalamic GABA levels (Tau: 31.3 +/- 2.9;


METHODS
15.6 +/- 1.2 nmoles/mg wet tissue, P < 0.001). In a second group of animals (n = 13), Tau treatment delayed vaginal opening by more than 2 days (P < 0.05 vs. controls). It is concluded that supplementation with Tau during the fourth postnatal week reduces LHRH/LH secretion and postpones sexual development, perhaps by increasing the activity of the hypothalamic GABAergic system.
Arias
P
P
Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Feleder
C
C
Rodríguez
M
M
Ginzburg
M
M
Refojo
D
D
Szwarcfarb
B
B
Moguilevsky
J A
JA
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000187:drug effects; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D000596:Amino Acids; D013654:Taurine; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone