Decreases in taurine levels induced by beta-alanine treatment did not affect the susceptibility of tissues to lipid peroxidation.

We aimed to investigate the effect of decreased taurine levels on endogenous and induced lipid peroxide levels in liver, brain, heart and erythrocytes as well as prooxidant and antioxidant balance in the liver of rats administered beta-alanine (3%, w/v) in drinking water for 1 month to decrease taurine levels of tissues. This treatment caused significant decreases in taurine levels of liver (86%), brain (36%) and heart (15%). We found that endogenous and ascorbic acid-, NADPH- and cumene hydroperoxide-induced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels did not change in the liver, brain and heart homogenates following beta-alanine treatment. Also, H(2)O(2)-induced MDA levels remained unchanged in erythrocytes. In addition, we did not observe any changes in levels of MDA, diene conjugates, glutathione, alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase in the liver. According to this, buffering or sequestering capacity of tissues to exogenous stimuli was not influenced by reduced taurine levels in tissues of rats.