Evaluation of taurine as an osmotic agent for peritoneal dialysis solution

The development of a glucose-free peritoneal dialysis (PD) solution is important because glucose has been associated with functional and morphological damage to the peritoneal membrane. The ultrafiltration (UF) and biocompatibility of new PD solutions containing taurine (PD-taurine) instead of glucose as an osmolite were tested in a rat PD model.

To determine the solution's UF ability, different concentrations of taurine in PD solutions were compared to glucose-based PD solutions (PD-glucose) by giving single intraperitoneal injections for 2, 4, and 6 hours. To examine the biocompatibility of PD-taurine, the rats were divided into 3 groups: a 3.86% PD-glucose group, a 3.5% PD-taurine group and a not dialyzed group. The rats were given 10-mL injections of PD fluids intraperitoneally 3 times daily for 7 days. A peritoneal equilibration test (PET) was performed using a 1.9% xylitol solution at the time the rats were sacrificed. Mesothelial cell monolayers were obtained from the animals and studied based on a population analysis.

The net UF of PD-taurine increased in a dose-dependent manner; the 3.5% PD-taurine solution was equivalent to the 3.86% PD-glucose solution after 4 hours. The PET showed that the drainage volume and the D(4)/D(0) ratio for xylitol after 4 hours with PD-taurine solution were significantly greater than with the PD-glucose solution (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively). Mesothelial and fibroblast-like cell proliferation was significantly less with PD-taurine than with PD-glucose (p < 0.01).

These results indicate that PD-taurine resulted in net UF equivalent to that of PD-glucose and was more biocompatible than PD-glucose with respect to the peritoneal membrane.