Taurine protects against carbon tetrachloride toxicity in the cultured neurons and in vivo.

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) has been found to induce cellular damage by generating oxygen free radicals. A study was carried out to investigate the effects of taurine (extracted from Pegasus laternarius Cuvier) on CCl4 intoxicated cultured neurons. CCl4 application (0.4 mmol x l(-1), 0.8 mmol x l( -1), 1.2 mmol x l (-1) and 1.6 mmol x l(-1 )) increased the lipid peroxidation product and decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity significantly in a concentration dependent manner. Pretreatment of cultures with taurine (10 micromol x l(-1), 30 micromol x l(-1) and 60 micromol x l(-1)) prevented the loss of GPx activity and lipid peroxidation. The effects of three different dosages of taurine (10 mg/kg body wt., 20 mg/kg body wt. and 40 mg/ kg body wt.) for 45 days on the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were examined in the cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla of normal and CCl4 treated mice. Treatment of mice with taurine provided protection against CCl4 toxicity as was evident by lipid peroxide status. Taurine was not so successful at inducing the activity of SOD in normal animals except in the medulla where it could increase the activity of SOD (p < 0.05). Taurine induces the GPx activity in a dose dependent manner in all regions of the brain studied. Also in the CCl4 poisoned mice taurine could augment the status of GPx activity in a dose dependent manner. Hence it is concluded that taurine can protects neurons from the oxidative stress induced by CCl4.