[Different sensitivity biochemical mechanisms to mycobacterium tuberculosis of guinea pigs and rats]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) (H37Rv strain, 0.1 mg) was subcutaneously administered to guinea-pigs and rats and 6 weeks later the content of free amino acids and oxidized and reduced glutahione were measured in the liver. The guinea-pigs were found to have higher levels of phosphoethanolamine (PEA), ethanolamine (EA), serine, and phenylalanine and lower concentrations of tyrosine. These changes are regarded as a sign of damaged cell membranes and impaired redox processes in the development of experimental tuberculosis (ET) in guinea-pigs. The compensatory adaptation in ET was increased levels of reduced glutathione and taurine. In intact rats, the hepatic level of taurine was 5 times higher and that of oxidized and reduced glutathione was twice less than in guinea-pigs. Rats did not develop ET, in them the level of taurine increased by twice more, that of PEA, EA, serine drastically dropped. Species-specific differences in the MT sensitivity of guinea-pigs and rats seem to be due to the differences in the levels of taurine.