title: Copper deficiency does not lead to taurine deficiency in rats.
abstract: Copper deficiency has been reported to cause a decrease in urinary taurine excretion in rats. We determined whether Cu deficiency would decrease taurine status and the hepatic activities of cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and/or cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (CSAD) in rats. Ten weanling male rats were assigned to either a Cu-adequate (+Cu) or Cu-deficient (-Cu) group. All rats consumed a Cu-deficient purified diet and water ad-libitum for 16 wk. The water for the (+Cu) group contained 20 mg Cu/L as CuSO(4). At wk 16, the groups differed (P < 0.05) in the following variables (means +/- SEM, -Cu vs. +Cu): body weight (BW), 375 +/- 19 vs. 418 +/- 2.9 g; food intake, 16.2 +/- 0.7 vs. 18.5 +/- 0.4 g/d; hematocrit, 0.294 +/- 0.027 vs. 0.436 +/- 0.027; hemoglobin, 95.2 +/- 9 vs 134 +/- 10 g/L; liver Cu, 8.7 +/- 2.0 vs. 65.9 +/- 2.5 nmol/g; plasma Cu, 0.38 +/- 0.09 vs. 13.4 +/- 0.61 micromol/L; plasma ceruloplasmin activity, 1.75 +/- 1.0 vs. 67.9 +/- 8.4 IU; relative heart weight, 0.56 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.35 +/- 0.02% BW; relative liver weight, 4.06 +/- 0.23 vs. 3.37 +/- 0.06% BW; and liver CSAD activity, 18.8 +/- 1.37 vs. 13.5 +/- 1.11 nmol x min(-1) x mg protein(-1). The groups did not differ at wk 16 in: plasma taurine, 249 +/- 14 vs. 298 +/- 63 micromol/L; whole blood taurine, 386 +/- 32 vs. 390 +/- 25 micromol/L; urinary taurine excretion, 82.5 +/- 15 vs. 52.0 +/- 8.3 micromol/d; liver taurine, 2.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.4 micromol/g; liver total glutathione, 6.9 +/- 0.48 vs. 6.3 +/- 0.40 micromol/g; liver cyst(e)ine, 96 +/- 7.1 vs. 99 +/- 5.3 nmol/g and liver CDO activity, 2.19 +/- 0.33 vs. 2.74 +/- 0.21 nmol x min(-1) x mg protein(-1). These findings support the conclusion that Cu deficiency does not affect body taurine status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Kwang Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Cristina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Tôrres
authors.forename: Andrea J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fascetti
authors.forename: Martha H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stipanuk
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hirschberger
authors.forename: Quinton R
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D050558:Cysteine Dioxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006400:Hematocrit; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013654:Taurine / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D013654:Taurine; D003300:Copper; D050558:Cysteine Dioxygenase; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases; C019972:sulfoalanine decarboxylase