THE ROLE OF ANION CHANNELS IN OSMOTICALLY ACTIVATED TAURINE RELEASE FROM EMBRYONIC SKATE (RAJA-EGLANTERIA) HEART

Taurine, a major osmolyte of vertebrate hearts, is released from the s kate heart at increased rates during hypotonic stress. We tested the h ypothesis that this taurine release is mediated by chloride channels a ctivated by swelling, Two inhibitors of the channels, NPPB and DIDS, i nhibited the volume-activated release of taurine from embroyonic skate hearts. These results support the hypothesis that swelling-activated chloride channels mediate the release of cardiac taurine.