title: Effect of selenium deficiency on tissue taurine concentration and urinary taurine excretion in the rat.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of selenium deficiency on tissue taurine levels and urinary taurine excretion. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed selenium-deficient or selenium-adequate diets for 20 weeks. As selenium deficiency developed, urinary taurine excretion increased in selenium-deficient rats compared to controls. At 12 weeks, the selenium-deficient rats excreted 1.7-fold more taurine than control rats. At the same time plasma glutathione peroxidase was 1.2% of control and plasma glutathione was 226% of control. At 20 weeks, renal taurine was decreased but renal glutathione was increased in selenium-deficient rats compared to controls. Feeding the experimental diet for 6 weeks without methionine supplementation caused a fall in urinary taurine excretion. However, there was no difference between selenium-deficient and control rats. These results indicate that selenium deficiency affects renal handling of taurine in the rat when dietary sulfur amino acids are not restricted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine and Center in Molecular Toxicology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Burk