Schmidt S Y, Berson E L, Hayes K C
Invest Ophthalmol. 1976 Jan;15(1):47-52.
All cats fed a taurine-free casein diet for at least 23 weeks have shown granularity with a hyper-reflective white zone in the area centralis, nondetectable electroretinograms (ERG's), and structural changes indicating photoreceptor cell degeneration. The present study has demonstrated that cats fed this casein diet have a selective decrease in plasma and retinal taurine concentrations by five weeks; taurine levels were about 4 per cent of normal in plasma, and 60 per cent of normal in retina. After 10 weeks, taurine levels were 2 to 4 per cent of normal in plasma and reached a minimum of 20 to 30 per cent of normal in the retina. These biochemical changes occurred in association with a delay in the cone ERG implicit time at five weeks and reduced cone and rod ERG amplitudes at 10 weeks. During this period, retinal DNA content (as a measure of cell viability) and fundus appearance were normal. By 23 weeks, ERG's were nondetectable, retinal DNA content was reduced, and the fundus showed typical changes in the area centralis. These studies help to establish a biological role for taurine in maintaining photoreceptor cell function and viability in the cat.
所有食用无牛磺酸酪蛋白饮食至少23周的猫，在中央区都出现了颗粒状以及高反射白色区域，视网膜电图（ERG）检测不到，并且有表明光感受器细胞退化的结构变化。本研究表明，食用这种酪蛋白饮食的猫在五周时血浆和视网膜牛磺酸浓度会选择性降低；血浆中牛磺酸水平约为正常水平的4%，视网膜中为正常水平的60%。10周后，血浆中牛磺酸水平为正常水平的2%至4%，视网膜中降至正常水平的最低值20%至30%。这些生化变化伴随着五周时视锥细胞ERG潜伏期延迟以及10周时视锥和视杆细胞ERG振幅降低。在此期间，视网膜DNA含量（作为细胞活力的指标）和眼底外观正常。到23周时，ERG检测不到，视网膜DNA含量降低，眼底在中央区出现典型变化。这些研究有助于确定牛磺酸在维持猫的光感受器细胞功能和活力方面的生物学作用。
