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Kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures in Sprague-Dawley rats and the effect of dietary taurine (TAU) supplementation or deficiency

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Summary

Male Sprague-Dawley rats received TAU supplementation (1.5% in drinking water) or TAU deficient diets for 4 weeks to test for a possible neuroprotective role of TAU in KA-induced (10 mg/kg s.c.) seizures. TAU supplementation significantly increased serum and hippocampal TAU levels, but not TAU content in temporal cortex or striatum. TAU deficient diets did not attenuate serum or tissue TAU levels. Dietary TAU supplementation failed to decrease the number or latency of partial or clonic-tonic seizures or wet dog shakes, whereas a TAU deficient diet decreased the number of clonictonic and partial seizures. This study does not support previous observations of an anticonvulsant effect of TAU against KA-induced seizures. KAtreatment decreasedα 2-adrenergic receptor binding sites and TAU content in the temporal cortex across all dietary treatment groups, supporting previous evidence of severe KA-induced damage and neuronal loss in this brain region.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, JHMHC Box 100487, 32610, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    B. Eppler, W. Zhou, W. J. Millard & R. Dawson Jr.

  2. Division of Neurotoxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research/FDA, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA

    T. A. Patterson

Authors
  1. B. Eppler
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  2. T. A. Patterson
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  3. W. Zhou
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  4. W. J. Millard
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  5. R. Dawson Jr.
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Eppler, B., Patterson, T.A., Zhou, W. et al. Kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures in Sprague-Dawley rats and the effect of dietary taurine (TAU) supplementation or deficiency. Amino Acids 16, 133–147 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321532

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01321532

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