Effect of parathyroid extract and of glutaurine (gamma-L-glutamyl-taurine) on the manifestations of osteolathyrism.

BAPN-induced osteolathyrism in young and older male rats was examined for its responses to parathormone-free, gel-filtered bovine parathyroid extract (extract P) and to glutaurine (gamma-L-glutamyl-taurine), the latter being a hitherto unknown putative hormone isolated from bovine parathyroid and reproduced by synthesis. In case of the daily administration of 20 mg BAPN + 0.2 mg extract P/100 g body weight and of 40 mg BAPN + 0.2 micrograms glutaurine/100 g body weight, both substances were found to attenuate the manifestations of osteolathyrism, to a significant extent, without, however preventing their development completely. The significantly decreased Ca, P, chondroitine sulphate and chrondroprotein values due to the administration of BAPN showed a significant, or highly significant, increase for the cartilage in response to extract P, and for both cartilage and bone in response to glutaurine, without however, attaining the control values. Additional evidence has been furnished by the present study that synthetic glutaurine is equal to the parathormone-free, gel-filtered parathyroid extract (extract P) in its attenuating effect on experimental osteolathyrism.