Production of hypotaurine, taurine and sulfate in rats and mice injected with L-cysteinesulfinate

Summary.

We studied in vivo production of taurine, hypotaurine and sulfate following subcutaneous administration of L-cysteinesulfinate (CSA) to rats and mice. When 5.0 mmol/kg of body weight of CSA was injected to rats, increased urinary excretions of taurine, hypotaurine and sulfate in 24 h urine were 617, 52 and 1,767 µmol/kg, respectively. From these results together with our previous data, sulfate production was calculated to be 1.6 times greater than taurine production. Increased contents (µmol/g of wet tissue) over the control of taurine and hypotaurine in mouse tissues at 60 min after the injection of 5.0 mmol/kg body weight of CSA were: liver, 3.5 and 9.9; kidney, 0.3 and 5.2; heart, 3.7 and 0.2; blood plasma, 0.4 and 0.2, respectively. Upon loading of hypotaurine or taurine, tissue contents of these amino acids in liver and kidney increased greatly. Our results indicate that liver is the most active tissue for taurine production, followed by kidney, and that external CSA, hypotaurine and taurine are easily taken up by these tissues.