Objective: To investigate the improvement of taurine (Tau) learning and memory abilities in rats exposed to lead.
Methods: Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group: treated with distilled water; lead group: treated with lead acetate (40 mg.kg(-1).d(-1)); lead-taurine group 1, 2, 3: lead acetate (40 mg.kg(-1).d(-1)) + different concentrations of taurine (100, 400, 800 mg.kg(-1).d(-) 1)). The learning and memory abilities of the rats were measured weekly with a spatial water maze test from weeks 5 to 8. At the end of the experiment, the rats were killed, and blood and brain samples were collected for analysis.
Results: (1) The anchor search time in the lead-Tau 800 mg group at weeks 6, 7, 8 and in the lead-Tau 400 mg group at week 6 was significantly shorter than that in the lead group (P<0.05). ). (2) The blood lead content in the 100 mg lead-Tau and lead-Tau 400 mg groups [(510.9 +/- 57.56) microg/l, (485.40 +/- 98.85) microg/l] was different from that in the lead group (P<0.05). (3) The activities of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were also different in the brains of the lead-Tau 800 mg group and the lead-Tau 400 mg group. from those in the lead group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The GSH content and GSH-Px activity in the lead-Tau 800 mg group were also different from those in the lead group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Taurine may improve learning and memory in rats exposed to lead and may play a protective role in the brain.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14761348/
