The effect of taurine transport antagonists on cardiac taurine concentration and the incidence of sudden death syndrome in male broiler chickens.

Two experiments were conducted in which 540 day-old male broiler chickens were raised in heated battery brooders to 4 wk of age. Diets contained taurine antagonists to test effects on cardiac taurine content and the incidence of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS). In Experiment 1 treatments during Weeks 2 to 4 were A) basal diet; B) basal diet supplemented with .25% guanidinoethyl sulfonate (GES) in Week 2 and 1.5% GES in Weeks 3 and 4; and C) basal diet supplemented with .5% GES in Weeks 2 to 4. The taurine content of heart was significantly reduced (P less than .05) with GES supplementation, but no effects on SDS mortality rates were noted. In Experiment 2 birds received diets containing 0. 2.5, or 5% beta-alanine. Supplementation with this compound decreased cardiac taurine concentration to extremely low levels (P less than .05). No significant effects on SDS mortality rates were noted. The results are interpreted as suggesting that taurine does not play a major role in the etiology of SDS.