TAURINE PROTECTS AGAINST THE CYTOTOXICITY OF HYDRAZINE, 1,4-NAPHTHOQUINONE AND CARBON-TETRACHLORIDE IN ISOLATED RAT HEPATOCYTES

Exposure of rat hepatocytes to nydrazine, carbon tetrachloride or 1,4-naphthoquinone results in cytotoxicity determined as uptake of Trypan blue and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). After exposure of hepatocytes to hydrazine and 1,4-naphthoquinone, ATP was also measured and was found to be depleted. Addition of the beta-amino acid taurine to the hepatocyte incubation buffer partiaily protects the cells against the cytotoxicity of these three different cytotoxic compounds, as indicated by Trypan blue uptake and LDH leakage. Taurine also reduces the depletion of ATP caused by 1,4-naphthoquinone but not hydrazine. It is suggested that taurine may have a cytoprotective effect in vitro and may be a useful tool for the investigation of mechanisms of cytotoxicity.