Taurine attenuates renal disease in chronic puromycin aminonucleoside nephropathy

Repeated administration of low doses of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAMN) to rats induces a proteinuric renal disease that resembles focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Reactive oxygen molecules may be involved in the progressive course of this nephropathy. Therefore we evaluated whether taurine, an endogenous antioxidant, could limit the extent of renal injury. Sprague-Dawley rats received low-dose injections of PAMN, 2 mg/100 g body wt, over a 12-wk period. Two groups were studied: 1) controls given tap water (n = 23), and 2) an experimental group that drank 1% taurine-supplemented water (n = 22). Taurine-treated nephrotic rats had a reduction in albuminuria, as assessed by the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (26 +/- 4 vs. 44 +/- 4, P less than 0.0001). After 12 wk, creatinine clearance was 0.33 +/- 0.03 (experimental) vs. 0.17 +/- 0.03 ml.min-1.100 g body wt-1 (control) (P less than 0.001), and inulin clearance (n = 6 pairs) was 0.26 +/- 0.04 (experimental) vs. 0.13 +/- 0.02 ml.min-1.100 g body wt-1 (control) (P less than 0.025). Administration of taurine reduced the percentage of segmentally sclerosed glomeruli (9.8 +/- 1.7 vs. 16.2 +/- 1.8%, P less than 0.02) and the tubulointerstitial injury score (1.36 +/- 0.19 vs. 2.61 +/- 0.25, P less than 0.0025) in experimental vs. control rats. Taurine treatment normalized the elevated renal cortical malondialdehyde level in rats with PAMN nephropathy (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)