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Advances in experimental medicine and biology vol. 139, taurine in nutrition and neurology
Neurochemistry International, Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 597 to 598.
Pergamon Press. 1982. Printed in Great Britain.
BOOK REVIEWS Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology Vol. 139. Taurine in Nutrition and Neurology. Edited by J. HUXTABLE arid H. PASANTES-MORALES. Published by Plenum Publishing Corp., 233 Spring Street, New York. 1900. £50. ISBN 0',306-40839-2. T.his monumental issue (551 pages) is the outcome of a Symposium, 'Taurine: Questions and Answers' held in November 1980 at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico at which some 30 or so international scientists interested in various aspects of taurine function contributed. : Although a great deat of effort has been made in the past de~:ade to elucidate the functional role of taurine, its function, synthesis and turnover remain unclear and indeed this symposium generally posed more questions than answers. The volume consists of six parts of varying length covering the following areas (1) Physicochemical properties of taurine, (2) Taurine in nutrition and development, (3) Transport and metabolism of taurine, (4) Taurine and the heart, (5) The neurochemistry of taurine and (6) The neuropharmacology of taurine. The first section is restricted to one paper by C. S. Irving et al. on the chemical interaction of taurine and Ca 2+ under biological conditions. The data presented makes it abundantly clear that the numerous publications that functionally link Ca 2+ and taurine cannot be explained by their direct chelation even as a macromolecular complex as their afffinity for each other is far too low. The second section consists of reports from five American Laboratories on various aspects of taurine nutritional requirements. Together the reports make it clear that taurine levels in the body are maintained by a mixture of dietry input, endogenous synthesis and renal savings. Herbivores with a low dietry input have more efficient synthesis mechanisms than carnivores. The reports by Sturman and co-workers and others in this section not only point out the catastrophic effects of taurine deprivation on the retina but indicate matters of some considerable clinical significance. Human infants led on milk formulae which have much lower taurine concentration than human milk become glycocholic secretors rather than taurocholic secretors. Whilst the human +can modify this aspect of its metabolism in response to a dietry taurine deficiency, are there any other subtle aspects of developmental metabolism for which it cannot compensate? Section 3 contains four articles on aspects of taurine transport and metabolism. The enzymology of taurine and hypotaurine synthesis is reported but many questions on the controlling factors remain unanswered. There is an interesting section by Schaffer et al., on the effective taurine transport by proteoliposomes reconstituted from heart
extracts which remarkably mimic the taurine transport characteristics of the intact heart. The clinical importance of taurine transport in epilepsy, Ereidreichs ataxia and genetic cardio-myopathy is also discussed. Section 4 deals with the biochemistry and electrophysiology of taurine in the heart both in normal and clinical situations. The work described here by Franconi et al. showing negative inotropic taurine effect at high Ca 2 ÷ concentration and the opposite at low Ca 2 ÷ concentration is significant in that it points to the homeostatic potential of taurine as a 'membrane stabiliser'. Section 5 on the neurochemistry of taurine argue somewhat against the role of taurine as a neUrotransmitter, even in the retina. Its slow release (2--3 weeks) from the retina in response to continued light stimulation in contrast to GAB& which is released immediately (Kuriyama et al.) and its association with other putative amino acid transmitters argue strongly against a neurotransmitter role for taurine although there are still advocates for such a specific role for taurine in certain situations. Section 6 on the neuropharmacology of taurine develops further the argument against a neurotransmitter role. No specific taurine receptor has been isolated, it cannot, be released by depolarising conditions that release other neurotransmitters and its CNS depressant effects can be antagonised by both glycine and GABA blockers. Amongst contributions to this section, L6pez-Colom6 et al. and Segawa et al. provide evidence that the binding of taurine to CNS tissue are transport mechanisms rather than orthodox post synaptic receptors sites. This section also includes chapters by Isumi et al. and Furukowa et al. showing taurine antagonism of centrally active polypeptides again arguing against a specific neurotransmitter role. Generally speaking, this book is a well laid out report of the Symposium although some of the chapters could have been more clearly written and lack an adequate abstract. About 130 pages, no less, of this book is devoted to a report on the very extended time allocated in this Symposium to informal discussions, A reader interested in taurin¢ research should find this sectior~ of g~eat value as it includes both useful and useless stiggestions made by experts in a casual and light hearted manner. This massive volume presents an excellent source of information and references to both the student and the research worker but at a price of about £50.00 it is out of the price range of the former and probably the latter. Nevertheless, it makes most interesting reading. W. E. DAVIES W. E. Davies is a lecturer at the Department of Pharmacolo#y, University of Birminyham, Medical School, U.K.
597
Pergamon Press. 1982. Printed in Great Britain.
BOOK REVIEWS Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology Vol. 139. Taurine in Nutrition and Neurology. Edited by J. HUXTABLE arid H. PASANTES-MORALES. Published by Plenum Publishing Corp., 233 Spring Street, New York. 1900. £50. ISBN 0',306-40839-2. T.his monumental issue (551 pages) is the outcome of a Symposium, 'Taurine: Questions and Answers' held in November 1980 at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico at which some 30 or so international scientists interested in various aspects of taurine function contributed. : Although a great deat of effort has been made in the past de~:ade to elucidate the functional role of taurine, its function, synthesis and turnover remain unclear and indeed this symposium generally posed more questions than answers. The volume consists of six parts of varying length covering the following areas (1) Physicochemical properties of taurine, (2) Taurine in nutrition and development, (3) Transport and metabolism of taurine, (4) Taurine and the heart, (5) The neurochemistry of taurine and (6) The neuropharmacology of taurine. The first section is restricted to one paper by C. S. Irving et al. on the chemical interaction of taurine and Ca 2+ under biological conditions. The data presented makes it abundantly clear that the numerous publications that functionally link Ca 2+ and taurine cannot be explained by their direct chelation even as a macromolecular complex as their afffinity for each other is far too low. The second section consists of reports from five American Laboratories on various aspects of taurine nutritional requirements. Together the reports make it clear that taurine levels in the body are maintained by a mixture of dietry input, endogenous synthesis and renal savings. Herbivores with a low dietry input have more efficient synthesis mechanisms than carnivores. The reports by Sturman and co-workers and others in this section not only point out the catastrophic effects of taurine deprivation on the retina but indicate matters of some considerable clinical significance. Human infants led on milk formulae which have much lower taurine concentration than human milk become glycocholic secretors rather than taurocholic secretors. Whilst the human +can modify this aspect of its metabolism in response to a dietry taurine deficiency, are there any other subtle aspects of developmental metabolism for which it cannot compensate? Section 3 contains four articles on aspects of taurine transport and metabolism. The enzymology of taurine and hypotaurine synthesis is reported but many questions on the controlling factors remain unanswered. There is an interesting section by Schaffer et al., on the effective taurine transport by proteoliposomes reconstituted from heart
extracts which remarkably mimic the taurine transport characteristics of the intact heart. The clinical importance of taurine transport in epilepsy, Ereidreichs ataxia and genetic cardio-myopathy is also discussed. Section 4 deals with the biochemistry and electrophysiology of taurine in the heart both in normal and clinical situations. The work described here by Franconi et al. showing negative inotropic taurine effect at high Ca 2 ÷ concentration and the opposite at low Ca 2 ÷ concentration is significant in that it points to the homeostatic potential of taurine as a 'membrane stabiliser'. Section 5 on the neurochemistry of taurine argue somewhat against the role of taurine as a neUrotransmitter, even in the retina. Its slow release (2--3 weeks) from the retina in response to continued light stimulation in contrast to GAB& which is released immediately (Kuriyama et al.) and its association with other putative amino acid transmitters argue strongly against a neurotransmitter role for taurine although there are still advocates for such a specific role for taurine in certain situations. Section 6 on the neuropharmacology of taurine develops further the argument against a neurotransmitter role. No specific taurine receptor has been isolated, it cannot, be released by depolarising conditions that release other neurotransmitters and its CNS depressant effects can be antagonised by both glycine and GABA blockers. Amongst contributions to this section, L6pez-Colom6 et al. and Segawa et al. provide evidence that the binding of taurine to CNS tissue are transport mechanisms rather than orthodox post synaptic receptors sites. This section also includes chapters by Isumi et al. and Furukowa et al. showing taurine antagonism of centrally active polypeptides again arguing against a specific neurotransmitter role. Generally speaking, this book is a well laid out report of the Symposium although some of the chapters could have been more clearly written and lack an adequate abstract. About 130 pages, no less, of this book is devoted to a report on the very extended time allocated in this Symposium to informal discussions, A reader interested in taurin¢ research should find this sectior~ of g~eat value as it includes both useful and useless stiggestions made by experts in a casual and light hearted manner. This massive volume presents an excellent source of information and references to both the student and the research worker but at a price of about £50.00 it is out of the price range of the former and probably the latter. Nevertheless, it makes most interesting reading. W. E. DAVIES W. E. Davies is a lecturer at the Department of Pharmacolo#y, University of Birminyham, Medical School, U.K.
597