Abstract
Elevated urinary excretion of taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) by the irradiated rat has been observed by several investigators (1-4). The extent of elevation appears to be dependent on the radiation exposure in the sublethal dose range (3-5), although the dose required to produce the maximum response varies among laboratories. The duration of elevation is about three days, with the maximum occurring during the first 24 hours. Schram (6) and Soupart (7) have shown that the intracellular preformed taurine is the probable source of the urinary excess. Watson (8) suggested that loss of taurine from lymphoid tissue could account for postirradiation hypertaurinuria. The present investigation deals with the possibility that postirradiation hypertaurinuria may be modified by the administration of a radioprotectant drug prior to exposure. Aebi et al. (3) failed to observe additivity of the taurine-producing effects of cysteamine and radiation when animals were irradiated after cysteamine administration. They favored the interpretation that cysteamine treatment prevented tissue damage which would otherwise contribute toward elevating urinary taurine. It was not possible in their study, however, to determine which treatment was reduced in effectiveness when they were combined.3
Published Version
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