TAURINE IN DEVELOPING RAT-BRAIN - CHANGES IN BLOOD-BRAIN-BARRIER

Abstract— The fate of [35S]taurine injected intraperitoneally or intracranially has been compared in rats throughout neonatal development. The amount of [35S]taurine present in the whole rat pup 24 h after intraperitoneal injection increases during development to a maximum 15 days after birth, and declines thereafter, whereas the amount of [35S]taurine reaching the brain 24 h after intraperitoneal injection was greatest in the first 5 days after birth. The amount of [35S]taurine remaining in the brain 24 h after intracranial injection does not vary throughout the period of neonatal development. These results suggest that the ‘blood‐brain’ barrier is more accessible to taurine in the first few days after birth than later in neonatal development, and that factors other than simple exchange are involved. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved