Abstract
Taurine
may act as an antioxidant, preventing development of inflammatory
response and morphologic alteration in lungs of hamsters exposed to
nitrogen dioxide. It may bind to plasma membrane reactive sites or
stabilize specific molecules in cells inhibiting destructive processes.
Localization of taurine is necessary in confirming its role. Hamsters
were injected intraperitoneally with H3 labeled taurine (0.1
μCi/ml sp act 20 Ci/mmol) and sacrificed 1 hr or 18 hr after injection.
Lungs were removed. fixed, and embedded in Epon. Control lungs were
preparedto compare in vivo and in vitro labeling. Lung slices from
untreated hamsters were incubated for 1 hr in McCoy 5A medium and then
in medium containing H3 taurine for 1 hr. Slices were washed
in cold taurine for 1 hr, fixed, and embedded. One-μm sections were
prepared for autoradiographic analyses. In situ and in vitro labeled
tissues showed no differences in taurine distribution. All in vitro
cells showed reater amounts of label than observed in the in vivo cells.
In both cases, highest label concentrations were found in the airway
epithelia, type II pneumocytes, and macrophages; to a lesser degree in
endothelial cells. The lowest concentrations were found in the type I
pneumocytes. These data indicate that lung cells incorporate exogenous
taurine. (The J Histotechnol 17:29, 1994)
Keywords: H3-taurine, hamsters, lungs
Membrane Perturbations and Mediation of Gap Junction Formation in
Response to Taurine Treatment in Normal and Injured Alveolar Epithelia
