[The diagnostic value of the status of urinary taurine in the early stages following the irradiation of animals].

A study of the features of taurine excretion early after irradiation of animals in comparison with the peripheral blood level of leukocytes is necessary for the development of methods of early diagnosis and prediction of an outcome of radiation disease. The paper is concerned with a study of the correlation between a dose of ionizing radiation and enhanced taurine excretion with urine in rats and dogs as compared to the time course of the blood level of leukocytes, an indicator used for the diagnosis of radiation disease. The doses were 2-10 Gy for rats and 5-15 Gy for dogs. Intensive taurine excretion was shown to be an early (recorded in the first hours after radiation exposure), stable and dose-dependent body reaction. The authors discussed the problem of the appropriateness of the use of this test for the diagnosis and prognosis of an outcome of acute radiation disease in combination with common indices.