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Taurine Effects on Calcium Transport in Nervous Tissue

  • Chapter
Natural Sulfur Compounds

Abstract

In the last years there have been increasing interest in the role of taurine in the central nervous system (CNS), because of its possible association with the mechanisms regulating nervous excitability1. After the finding of the generalized anticonvulsant action of taurine2–4as well as of its effects on human epilepsies 5,6, many investigations have been undertaken in an attempt to elucidate the intimate mechanism through which taurine is involved in the control of nervous excitation. Taurine, when applied iontophoretically, has depressant effects on neuronal activity7,8 and has been proposed to be acting as an inhibitory neurotransmitter9,10; actually, it appears to possess many of the properties expected for such a role. However, a rigorous analysis of the criteria a substance must fulfill in order to be identified as a transmitter must be made when evaluating such a role for taurine in the CNS. Particular emphasis should be made on the specificity of taurine actions in order to exclude the possibility that some of its effects were mediated through receptors for neurotransmitter amino acids with which taurine has structural analogies, like GABA or glycine. It is also of extreme interest to localize the precise sites at which taurine is being released or taken up, or at which it is modifying membrane excitability.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones en Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México 20, D.F., México

    H. Pasantes-Morales & A. Gamboa

Authors
  1. H. Pasantes-Morales
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  2. A. Gamboa
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Doriano Cavallini

  2. Institute for Basic Research in Mental Retardation, Staten Island, New York, USA

    Gerald E. Gaull

  3. University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Vincenzo Zappia

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© 1980 Plenum Press, New York

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Pasantes-Morales, H., Gamboa, A. (1980). Taurine Effects on Calcium Transport in Nervous Tissue. In: Cavallini, D., Gaull, G.E., Zappia, V. (eds) Natural Sulfur Compounds. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3045-5_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3045-5_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3047-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3045-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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