Effects of taurine on pulmonary responses to antigen in sensitized Brown-Norway rats

Oxidative stress appears relevant to asthma. Therefore, the effects of the antioxidant taurine (oral, 1 and 3 mmol kg(-1) day(-1) for 7 days before ch allenge) were examined on antigen-induced responses in sensitized Brown-Nor way rats. Taurine did not reduce the bronchospasm produced by aerosol antig en but prevented airway hyperreactivity to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) at 24 h after antigen exposure. and reduced the eosinophils (from 0.178 +/- 0.03 8 x 10(6) to 0.044 +/- 0.014 x 10(6) and 0.048 +/- 0.013 x 10(6) cells ml(- 1) in antigen and antigen + taurine 1 or 3 mmol kg(-1), respectively; P < 0 .05 vs. antigen), lipid hydroperoxides, and Evans blue dye extravasation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Taurine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage flu id from antigen-challenged rats were higher than control values but treatme nt with taurine failed to further increase these levels. In conclusion, ora l taurine showed beneficial effects in an in vivo model of experimental ast hma, which confirm and extend the previous positive findings obtained in ot her models of lung injury. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.