Biomaterial Database

Central cardiovascular effects of taurine: comparison with homotaurine and muscimol. 1981

P Bousquet, and J Feldman, and R Bloch, and J Schwartz

The central cardiovascular effects of taurine were compared with those of homotaurine and muscimol. The drugs were injected i.c.v. in cumulative doses into pentobarbital-anesthetized cats. Muscimol (0.1-30 microgram/kg) produced dose-dependent hypotension and bradycardia, with a maximum effect of 70 +/- 5 mm Hg and 75 +/- 5 beats/min, respectively. Homotaurine led to a dose-related fall in blood pressure and heart rate; maximum effects were obtained with 300 microgram/kg and averaged 55 +/- 3 mm Hg and 73 +/- 3 beats/min. For both drugs, the dose-response curves were shifted to the right by pretreatment with 10 microgram/kg of bicuculline i.c.v. This antagonism confirms that the central cardiovascular effects of muscimol and homotaurine are mediated by a stimulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors. Taurine produced dose-related hypotension and bradycardia. The depressive effects of taurine started at a dose of 10 microgram/kg; at a dose of 1000 microgram/kg, the maximum effects observed were a 55 +/- 7 mm Hg hypotension and a 53 +/- 8 beats/min bradycardia. These effects were not affected by bicuculline pretreatment, but strychnine (i.c.v) prevented the effects of taurine. These findings indicate that glycine-type receptors may be involved in the taurine effects rather than gamma-aminobutyric acid type receptors. However, these results do not exclude the involvement of taurine-type receptors for which the specific antagonists is not yet available.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007276	Injections, Intraventricular	Injections into the cerebral ventricles.	Intraventricular Injections,Injection, Intraventricular,Intraventricular Injection
D009118	Muscimol	A neurotoxic isoxazole isolated from species of AMANITA. It is obtained by decarboxylation of IBOTENIC ACID. Muscimol is a potent agonist of GABA-A RECEPTORS and is used mainly as an experimental tool in animal and tissue studies.	Agarin,Pantherine
D010080	Oxazoles	Five-membered heterocyclic ring structures containing an oxygen in the 1-position and a nitrogen in the 3-position, in distinction from ISOXAZOLES where they are at the 1,2 positions.	Oxazole,1,3-Oxazolium-5-Oxides,Munchnones,1,3 Oxazolium 5 Oxides
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D002490	Central Nervous System	The main information-processing organs of the nervous system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges.	Cerebrospinal Axis,Axi, Cerebrospinal,Axis, Cerebrospinal,Central Nervous Systems,Cerebrospinal Axi,Nervous System, Central,Nervous Systems, Central,Systems, Central Nervous
D006439	Hemodynamics	The movement and the forces involved in the movement of the blood through the CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM.	Hemodynamic
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001640	Bicuculline	An isoquinoline alkaloid obtained from Dicentra cucullaria and other plants. It is a competitive antagonist for GABA-A receptors.	6-(5,6,7,8-Tetrahydro-6-methyl-1,3-dioxolo(4,5-g)isoquinolin-5-yl)furo(3,4-e)1,3-benzodioxol-8(6H)one
D013331	Strychnine	An alkaloid found in the seeds of STRYCHNOS NUX-VOMICA. It is a competitive antagonist at glycine receptors and thus a convulsant. It has been used as an analeptic, in the treatment of nonketotic hyperglycinemia and sleep apnea, and as a rat poison.	Strychnine Nitrate,Nitrate, Strychnine
D013654	Taurine	A conditionally essential nutrient, important during mammalian development. It is present in milk but is isolated mostly from ox bile and strongly conjugates bile acids.	Taufon,Tauphon,Taurine Hydrochloride,Taurine Zinc Salt (2:1),Taurine, Monopotassium Salt