title: Effects of taurine on pulmonary responses to antigen in sensitized Brown-Norway rats.
abstract: Oxidative stress appears relevant to asthma. Therefore, the effects of the antioxidant taurine (oral, 1 and 3 mmol x kg(-1) x day(-1) for 7 days before challenge) were examined on antigen-induced responses in sensitized Brown-Norway rats. Taurine did not reduce the bronchospasm produced by aerosol antigen but prevented airway hyperreactivity to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) at 24 h after antigen exposure, and reduced the eosinophils (from 0.178+/-0.038x10(6) to 0.044+/-0.014x10(6)* and 0.048+/-0.013x10(6)* cells ml(-1) in antigen and antigen+taurine 1 or 3 mmol x kg(-1), respectively; *P<0.05 vs. antigen), lipid hydroperoxides, and Evans blue dye extravasation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Taurine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from antigen-challenged rats were higher than control values but treatment with taurine failed to further increase these levels. In conclusion, oral taurine showed beneficial effects in an in vivo model of experimental asthma, which confirm and extend the previous positive findings obtained in other models of lung injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Avenida Blasco Ibanez 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortijo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blesa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez-Losa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Morcillo
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D016084:Bronchoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000032:analysis; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D013654:Taurine / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000941:Antigens; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D013654:Taurine