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Antenatal taurine supplementation increases taurine content in intrauterine growth restricted fetal rat brain tissue

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the influence of antenatal taurine supplementation on taurine content in the brains of fetal rats with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Experiments were performed at the Central Laboratory of Bayi Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Beijing Military General Hospital in China from January to June 2013. Fifteen pregnant rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal controls, an IUGR group and an IUGR + antenatal taurine supplement group (Taurine group) (n = 5). The IUGR model was induced using a low-protein diet throughout gestation. Rats in the taurine group were fed a diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg/day taurine for 12 days after conception until natural delivery. Two fetal rats were randomly selected in every litter, and taurine levels in the brains of rats were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that (1) the mean body weight of the fetal rats in the normal control, IUGR and IUGR + antenatal taurine supplement groups was 6.619 ± 0.4132, 4.509 ± 0.454, and 5.176 ± 0.436 g (F = 429.818, P < 0.01), respectively, and (2) that taurine levels in the brains of the fetal rats in the normal control, IUGR and taurine groups were (2.399 ± 0.134) × 105, (1.881 ± 0.166) × 105 and (2.170 ± 0.191) × 105 μg/g (F = 24.828, P < 0.01), respectively. Overall, our results indicated that taurine levels in IUGR fetal rat brains were lower than in the control animals, and that antenatal taurine supplementation could significantly increase taurine levels in the brains of fetal rats with IUGR.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported through funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81170577).

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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, The Second Artillery General Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Beijing, 100088, China

    Fang Li, Hui-Yun Teng, Li Zeng & Li-Fang Zhao

  2. Department of Neonatology and NICU, BaYi Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Beijing Military General Hospital, 5 Nanmen Cang Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100700, China

    Jing Liu & Hua-Wei Wang

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  1. Fang Li
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  2. Hui-Yun Teng
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  3. Jing Liu
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  4. Hua-Wei Wang
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  5. Li Zeng
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  6. Li-Fang Zhao
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Correspondence to Jing Liu.

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Li, F., Teng, HY., Liu, J. et al. Antenatal taurine supplementation increases taurine content in intrauterine growth restricted fetal rat brain tissue. Metab Brain Dis 29, 867–871 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-014-9532-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-014-9532-5

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