EFFECT OF TAURINE ON TOXICITY OF COPPER IN RATS

An attempt was made to study the effect of taurine on the toxicity of copper in male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into eight groups an d fed different diets with or without supplement of 5% taurine and 150 -600 ppm copper for 2 months. It was found that the levels of copper a nd malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver, and the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in the plasma of ra ts were increased with the increasing dose of copper. However, the lev els of copper and MDA, and the enzyme activities of AST and ALT in the rats fed with supplement of taurine were significantly lower than in the rats fed without supplement of taurine. The level of copper in the faeces of rats treated with taurine and copper was higher than that o f rats treated with copper alone. It indicated that taurine might play a role in reducing the toxic effect of copper in rats. (C) 1998 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.