[Some mechanisms of antihypoxic action of taurine]

It is shown that preliminary taurine treatment prevents the disturbances of energy metabolism in the brain, heart and liver tissues of Wistar rats with acute hypoxic hypoxia. Administration of taurine restored to normal the parameters of adenine pool: the concentration of ATP increased within the cytoplasm, while that of ADP and AMP diminished; mitochondrial respiration proceeded more rapidly; the concentrations of pyruvate and malate decreased; isocitrate dehydrogenase activity, P/O and NAD/NADH ratios increased. Taurine treatment resulted in a decreased level of lipid peroxides in the rat tissues with hypoxia. The role of intracellular calcium content and biomembranes structure changes as the mechanisms of taurine action on energy metabolism and lipid peroxidation is discussed.