Effects on heart membranes after taurine treatment in rabbits with congestive heart failure

Oral treatment with taurine (CAS 107-35-7) of rabbits with congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by impairment of aortic valve dose-dependently improved hemodynamic and contractile indices of the heart and prolonged the animals' life. Analysis of heart membrane fraction of CHF animals, using a paramagnetic probe 4-tempo-stearamide, demonstrated a loss of negative charge of the membranes. In vitro addition of taurine had no effect on the charge of phospholipid heads. The use of a 5-doxyl-stearate probe revealed that membrane fluidity decreased with the development of CHF as compared with normal membranes. Taurine increased membrane fluidity in animals with CHF, but did not affect membranes isolated from animals with CHF which had undergone taurine treatment and elevated membrane rigidity in the control group.