Taurine depletion and excitation-contraction coupling in rat myocardium

Abstract

Although the sulfur-containing amino acid taurine is found in high concentrations in mammalian myocardium, its involvement in function of the cardiac myocyte remains unclear. To examine the effects of taurine depletion on cardiac mechanical function, rats were treated in vivo with the taurine transport antagonist guanidinoethane sulfonate (GES). After 6 weeks of treatment, myocardial taurine concentrations were decreased to <40% of control, with no change in tissue DNA content. Right ventricular trabeculas from taurine-depleted rats exhibited significant reductions (P