Taurine increases rat survival and reduces striatal damage caused by 3-nitropropionic acid.
Taurine acts as an antioxidant protecting neurons from free radical-mediated cellular damage. 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) inhibits energy metabolism, initiating oxidative stress. With the objective to examine whether taurine can protect glia and neurons from damage produced by 3-NP, male Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either (1) saline, (2) taurine (3) 3-NP and saline, or (4) 3-NP and taurine for 4 days. Survival was determined and brains were processed immunohistochemically. Large striatal lesions and increased GFAP, SOD, and taurine immunoreactivity were detected in the 3-NP group when compared with control groups. In contrast, animals receiving 3-NP and taurine exhibited less GFAP, SOD, and taurine immunoreactivity, along with increased survival rates. Results indicate that taurine treatment after 3-NP administration protects the striatum from damage.
Rivas-Arancibia
S
S
Dept. of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. srivas@servidor.unam.mx
Rodríguez
A I
AI
Zigova
T
T
Willing
A E
AE
Brown
W D
WD
Cahill
D W
DW
Sanberg
P R
PR
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003292:Convulsants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D015996:Survival Rate; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D003292:Convulsants; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates; D013654:Taurine; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid