Nieminen M L, Tuomisto L, Solatunturi E, Eriksson L, Paasonen M K
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Life Sci. 1988;42(21):2137-43. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(88)90128-2.
The function of taurine in mammalian osmoregulation was studied in the Brattleboro rat with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (DI). DI rats are chronically dehydrated because of their inability to synthesize vasopressin. One day of water deprivation did not affect the water balance in rats with normal vasopressin synthesis, whereas DI rats were markedly dehydrated and lost considerably body weight. Taurine content and 3H-taurine accumulation by platelets were significantly higher in DI rats, with a further increase after one day of water deprivation. In DI rats, water deprivation also evoked a clear taurine increase in skeletal muscle and in the brain. These findings indicate that taurine has an osmoregulatory function in mammals.
利用遗传性下丘脑尿崩症（DI）的布拉德福德大鼠研究了牛磺酸在哺乳动物渗透调节中的作用。DI大鼠因无法合成抗利尿激素而长期脱水。一天的禁水对具有正常抗利尿激素合成能力的大鼠的水平衡没有影响，而DI大鼠则明显脱水且体重显著减轻。DI大鼠血小板中的牛磺酸含量和3H-牛磺酸积累显著更高，禁水一天后进一步增加。在DI大鼠中，禁水还引起骨骼肌和大脑中牛磺酸明显增加。这些发现表明牛磺酸在哺乳动物中具有渗透调节功能。
