Effects of taurine on the electrical and mechanical activities of embryonic chick heart.

The effect of taurine (2-aminoethanesulphonic acid) on myocardial slow action potentials (APs) and accompanying contractions was examined in isolated perfused chick hearts and reaggregated cultured cells. Isoproterenol (ISO), histamine (HIS), or tetraethylammonium (TEA) induced slow APs and contractions in hearts whose fast Na+ channels had been inactivated by elevated K+. Taurine (10 mM) not only failed to induce slow APs, but actually decreased ISO (10(-8) M), HIS (10(-4) M), or TEA (10 mM) induced slow APs and contractions transiently (about 30s-2 min after the addition of taurine). The properties of the slow APs recovered to control levels by 7-13 min after the addition of the taurine; at this time, there was an increase in developed tension of the contraction accompanying the slow APs. These results suggest that the positive inotropic action of taurine is not mediated through an increase in the slow inward Ca2+ current. However, the transient depression of Ca2+-dependent slow APs by taurine probably explains the transient negative inotropic effect of taurine.