The mechanisms of taurine mediated protection against cell damage induced by hypoxia and reoxygenation.
Taurine administered during hypoxia markedly reduced the cell damage due to O2 deficiency and reoxygenation. Different mechanisms are responsible for the improved survival of the renal cell cultures. Taurine markedly reduces the osmoregulatory deterioration during hypoxia and reoxygenation. Calcium homeostasis was markedly improved. Ca2+ efflux during hypoxia as well as Ca2+ overload during reoxygenation was significantly reduced by the amino acid. The effect of taurine was partly comparable to the effect induced by Ca2+ channel blockers. One of the effects mainly responsible for cellular protection seems to be the taurine-induced acceleration of cellular growth processes in spite of hypoxia and reoxygenation. The spectrum of cytoprotective effects of taurine predisposes this substance to be a physiological protective agent responsible for cellular homeostasis or enantiostasis.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Cologne, Federal Republic of Germany.
D V
DV
Michalk
P
P
Wingenfeld
C
C
Licht
T
T
Ugur
L F
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Siar
D000332:Aerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions; D007684:Kidney Tubules; D007700:Kinetics; D013552:Swine; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*
C037096:Euro-Collins' solution; D006982:Hypertonic Solutions; D013654:Taurine; D002118:Calcium