Distribution of [1,2-3H]taurine in the skin of adult and newborn mice studied by microradioautography.

In vivo light microscopic radioautography was used to demonstrate the distribution of taurine in adult and newborn mice at 30 min. and 3 hrs. after the injection of 3H-taurine. This study showed that the injected taurine was present in free form in the skin. Radioautographically, it was found that in the adult a very high density of taurine was found over the epidermis and external root sheaths near the opening of the hair follicles. The external root sheath just below the insertion of the sebaceous glands and the peripheral part of the sebaceous glands showed a high taurine distribution. Connective tissue in the dermis, however, showed low uptake of taurine. In the neonate mouse, the density of injected taurine in both the epidermis and the external root sheath was lower than that the density in the connective tissue in the dermis. We report these findings in detail and discuss some of the functional roles of taurine in the skin.