Table Of ContentTHE EFFECTS OF TAURINE
ON EXCITADLE TISSUES
Monographs of the Physiological Society of Philadelphia
Volume 1
IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
Proceedings of the Conference on Immunopharmacology
Philadelphia, January 27-28, 1975
Marvin E. Rosenthale and Herbert C. Mansmann, Jr., Editors
Volume 2
NEW ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS
Proceedings of the A. N. Richards Symposium
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, May 19-20, 1975
Alexander Scriabine and Charles S. Sweet, Editors
Volume 3
PROSTAGLANDINS IN HEMATOLOGY
Proceedings of the International Symposium on
Prostaglandins in Hematology
Philadelphia, March 4-5, 1976
M. J. Silver, J. B. Smith and J. J. Kocsis, Editors
Volume 4
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS
OF MYOCARDIAL ISCHEMIA
Proceedings of the A. N. Symposium
Philadelphia, May 6-7, 1976
Allan M. Lefer, Gerald J. Kelliher and Michael J. Rovetto, Editors
Volume 5
HISTAMINE RECEPTORS
Proceedings of the A. N. Richards Symposium
Philadelphia, March 21-22, 1977
Tobias O. Yellin, Editor
Volume 6
PROSTAGLANDINS IN
CARDIOVASCULAR AND RENAL FUNCTION
Proceedings of the A. N. Richards Symposium
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, May 8-9, 1978
Alexander Scriabine, Allan M. Lefer
and Frederick A. Kuehl, Jr., Editors
Volume 7
THE EFFECTS OF TAURINE ON EXCITABLE TISSUES
Proceedings of the A. N. Richards Symposium
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, April 23-24, 1979
S. W. Schaffer, Steven I. Baskin and James J. Kocsis, Editors
THE EFFECTS OF TAURINE
ON EXCITABLE TISSUES
Proceedings of the 21st Annual A. N. Richards Symposium
of the Physiological Society of Philadelphia,
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, April 23-24, 1979
Edited by
S. W. Schaffer, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia
Steven I. Baskin, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology
Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
James J. Kocsis, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia
MTP!iUMITED
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Published in the US by
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Copyright © 1981 Spectrum Publications, Inc.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 18t edition 1981
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by
photostat, microform, retrieval system, or any other means without prior written
permission of the copyright holder or his licensee.
ISBN -13 :978-94-009-8095-2 e-ISBN-13:978-94-009-8093-8
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-009-8093-8
Contributors
R. M. ADEME R. BRESSLER
Centro de I nvestigaciones en Fisiologia Department of Internal Medicine
Celular University of Arizona
Universidad Nacional Aut6noma de Mexico Tucson, Arizona
Mexico
S. CHANG
Department of Internal Medicine
L. E. ALTO
University of Arizona
Departments of Medicine and Physiology
Tucson, Arizona
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Canada
J. CHOVAN
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
A. BABA Hahnemann Medical College
Department of Pharmacology Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Osaka University
Osaka, Japan M. F. CRASS, III
Department of Physiology
Texas Tech University School of Medicine
J. BAHL
Lubbock, Texas
Department of I nternal Medicine
University of Arizona
A. N . DAVISON
Tucson, Arizona
Department of Neurochemistry
Institute of Neurology
London, England
S. I. BASKIN
The Medical College of Pennsylvania
N. S. DHALLA
Department of Pharmacology
Department of Physiology
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Canada
H. F. BRADFORD
Department of Biochemistry
L. DURELL!
Imperial College of Science and Technology
Clinica Neurologica
London, England
Universita di Sassari
Sassari, Italy
N. BRESOL!N
Department of Pharmacology L. FEUER
College of Medicine Chinoin Pharmaceutical and Chemical Works
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center Ltd.
Tucson, Arizona Budapest, Hungary
C. M. FINNEY R. J. HUXTABLE
College of Marine Studies Department of Pharmacology
University of Delaware University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Newark, Delaware Tucson, Arizona
C. J. FRANGAKIS R. ITO
Department of Internal Medicine Department of Pharmacology
University of Arizona Toho University School of Medicine
Tucson, Arizona Tokyo, Japan
K. FURUKAWA H. IWATA
Department of Pharmacology Department of Pharmacology
Toho University School of Medicine Osaka University
Tokyo, Japan Osaka, Japan
G. GAULL A. KARPPINEN
Department of Human Development and Department of Biochemistry
Nutrition University of Oulu
New York State Institute for Basic Research Oulu, Finland
in Mental Retardation
Staten Island, New York Y. KATAYAMA
Institute for Neurobiology
D. GROSSO Okayama University Medical School
Department of Internal Medicine Okayama, Japan
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
J. C. KHATTER
Departments of Medicine and Physiology
R. J. HOESCHEN
University of Manitoba
Departments of Medicine and Physiology
Winnipeg, Canada
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Canada
D. C. KLEIN
Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology
N. HOMMA
National Institute of Child Health and
Department of Pharmacology
Human Development
Toho University School of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Tokyo, Japan
Bethesda, Maryland
R. HORIE
J. J. KOCSIS
Japan Stroke Prevention Center and
Department of Pharmacology
Department of Pathology
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas
Shimane Medical University
Jefferson University
Izumo, Japan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
F. C. G. HOSKIN
P.KONTRO
Department of Biology
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Illinois Institute of Technology
University of Tampere
Chicago, Illinois
Tampere, Finland
R.E.HRUSKA
Department of Pharmacology J. KRAMER
College of Medicine Department of Physiology and Biophysics
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center Hahnemann Medical College
Tucson, Arizona Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
E. KULAKOWSKI W. LOVEN BERG
Department of Physiology and Biophysics Section on Biochemical Pharmacology
Hahnemann Medical College National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland
E. KUMPULAINEN
Department of Biochemistry K.-M. MARNELA
University of Oulu Institute of Biomedical Sciences
Oulu, Finland University of Tampere
Tampere, Finland
K. KURIYAMA
Department of Pharmacology J. MARSHALL
Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Department of Visual Science
Kyoto, Japan Institute of Ophthalmology
University of London
P. LAHDESMAKI London, England
Department of Biochemistry
University of Oulu M. MATSUMOTO
Oulu, Finland Institute for Neurobiology
Okayama University Medical School
H. E. LAIRD Okayama, Japan
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
University of Arizona B. A. MEINERS
Tucson, Arizona Department of Pharmacology
College of Medicine
N. LAKE University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Department of Visual Science Tucson, Arizona
Institute of Ophthalmology
University of London A. MORI
London, England Institute for Neurobiology
Okayama University Medical School
B. LARSEN Okayama, Japan
Department of Internal Medicine
University of Arizona R. MUTANI
Tucson, Arizona Clinica Neurologica
U niversita di Sassari
Sassari, Italy
S. LIPPINCOTT
Department of Pharmacology M. MURAMATSU
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center Department of Pharmacology
Tucson, Arizona Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
Kyoto, Japan
J. B. LOMBARDINI
Department of Pharmacology and Y. NARA
Therapeutics Japan Stroke Prevention Center and
Texas Tech University School of Medicine Department of Pathology
Lubbock, Texas Shimane Medical University
lzumo, Japan
, ,
A. M. LOPEZ-COLOME
Centro de Investigaciones en Fisiologia C. NAUSS-KAROL
Celular Department of Biochemical Nutrition
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc.
Oexico Nutley, New Jersey
S.OHKUMA P. L. SONI
Department of Pharmacology Departments of Medicine and Physiology
Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine University of Manitoba
Kyoto, Japan Winnipeg, Canada
S. S. OJA R. C. SPETH
Department of Biomedical Sciences Department of Pharmacology
University of Tampere College of Medicine
Tampere, Finland University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Tucson, Arizona
A.OOSHIMA
Japan Stroke Prevention Center and J. A. STURMAN
Department of Pathology Developmental Neurochemistry Laboratory
Shimane Medical University Department of Pathological Neurobiology
lzumo, Japan Institute for Basic Research in Mental
Retardation
A.C./. ORAEDU Staten Island, New York
Department of Visual Science
Institute of Ophthalmology E. J. THOMPSON
University of London Department of Neurochemistry
London, England Institute of Neurology
London, England
H. PASANTES-MORALES
Centro de I nvestigaciones en Fisiologia T. UCHIYAMA
Celular Department of Pharmacology
Universidad Nacional Aut6noma de Mexico Toho University School of Medicine
Mexico Tokyo, Japan
D. K. RASSIN C. VANDERWENDE
Department of Human Development and College of Pharmacy
Nutrition Rutgers - The State University
New York State Institute for Basic Research Piscataway, New Jersey
in Mental Retardation
Staten Island, New York M. J. VOADEN
Department of Visual Science
Institute of Ophthalmology
S. W. SCHAFFER
University of London
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
London, England
Hahnemann Medical College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
J. D. WELTY
Division of Biochemistry, Physiology and
S. Y. SCHMIDT Pharmacology
Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of
The University of South Dakota School of
Retinal Degenerations
Medicine
Harvard Medical School, Mass Eye and Ear
Vermillion, South Dakota
Boston, Massachusetts
M. C. WELTY
J. SHAFFER Division of Biochemistry, Physiology and
Department of Pharmacology Pharmacology
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas The University of South Dakota School of
Jefferson University Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Vermillion, South Dakota
G.H.T. WHELER Y. YAMORI
Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology Japan Stroke Prevention Center and
National Institute of Child Health and Department of Pathology
Human Development Shimane Medical University
National Institutes of Health Izumo, Japan
Bethesda, Maryland
S. YODA
S. YAMAGAMI Department of Pharmacology
Department of Pharmacology Toho University School of Medicine
Osaka University Tokyo, Japan
Osaka, Japan
I. YOKOI
K. YAMAGUCHI Institute for Neurobiology
Department of Medical Chemistry Okayama University Medical School
Osaka Medical College Okayama, Japan
Osaka, Japan
H. I. YA MAMURA
Department of Pharmacology
College of Medicine
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Tucson, Arizona
Preface
It has become an annual custom for the Physiological Society of Philadel
phia to sponsor a spring symposium in honor of A. N. Richards (\876-1966),
a research pharmacologist who developed the classical micropuncture tech
nique for studying kidney function. The A. N. Richards Symposium for 1979
was held on April 23-24 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The theme of this
symposium was "The Actions of Taurine on Excitable Tissues." Although
taurine was discovered as a constituent of bile salts in 1857 by a chemist and
an anatomist (Gmelin and Tiedemann), interest today centers chiefly on the
extrahepatic actions of taurine, especially in brain, heart, and other excitable
tissues. Research on taurine is clearly in a period of exponential growth.
We can be sure that the research reports presented and described herein as
the "Proceedings of the Symposium" will provide impetus for further
growth. Thus the report describing macromolecular receptors for taurine in
myocardial sarcolemma may provide a model for exploring the molecular
mechanisms that underlie the action(s) of taurine. Stabilization of mem
branes and modulation of ion fluxes are two fundamental actions of taurine
dealt with in many of these reports. It is just these actions of taurine that have
been reported by several investigators as being involved in human myotonia,
diabetes, and heart failure.
Other presentations at the symposium will add to the growing consensus
that taurine acts as a modulator rather than a transmitter in the eNS. Hyper
tension, epilepsy, and feline retinal degeneration have been described here by
other investigators as diseases in which either the biosynthesis, uptake, or re
lease of tissue taurine may be critical.
The biological effects of the newly discovered taurine analogue y
glutamyl taurine, along with those of hypotaurine and taurocyamine, again
raise the question as to whether it is taurine or its analogues that mediate "the
effects of taurine." Reports describing methods for reducing tissue taurine
levels provide another approach to answering this same question. Altogether
the proceedings of this symposium should provide a useful summary of the
rapidly growing knowledge about taurine and its biological effects.
We wish to thank the Physiological Society of Philadelphia for their
sponsorship and financial support, and the officers of the society for their per
sonal assistance in making the symposium a success. We also gratefully
