ABSTRACT
In order to evaluate tissue taurine storage during pregnancy, we determined the taurine concentration of a skeletal muscle (abdominal wall), the brain (left parietal lobe), and the liver (right lobe) in 41 children aged 1-10 days, born after 24-41 weeks gestation. Samples were obtained during autopsy. Taurine dosage was carried out by gas chromatography. Muscle and liver taurine concentrations decreased with the duration of gestation. For a given duration of pregnancy, there was no correlation between birth weight and these three tissue concentrations. From these results, we estimate that the fetus accumulates 35-40 mumol/24 h of taurine during the last 3 months of gestation.
Subject(s)
Brain/metabolism , Infant, Newborn/metabolism , Infant, Premature/metabolism , Liver/metabolism , Muscles/metabolism , Taurine/metabolism , Anthropometry , Birth Weight , Chromatography, Gas , Gestational Age , HumansABSTRACT
We studied the effects of oral taurine supplementation on bile acids conjugation and duodenal bile salt concentrations in infants. Seventeen infants receiving enteral artificial nutrition were investigated. At the beginning of the study they were 6 to 14 weeks old, in good nutritional state, without malabsorption, protein-losing enteropathy and liver or infectious diseases. After at least 8 days of a stable, taurine-free regimen the infants received oral taurine supplementation (36-45 micromol/kg.24 h) for 8 days. Bile acids were measured before and after each supplementation period in bile samples obtained by duodenal tubing, using enzymatic methods and colorimetry. According to the initial plasma taurine levels before supplementation, the infants were divided into two groups: I) plasma taurine levels less than 60 mumol/l (mean 47 +/-5 mumol/l, n = 8); II) plasma taurine levels greater than 70 mumol/l (mean 77 +/- 2 mumol/l, = 9). After 8 days of taurine supplementation a significant increase of plasma and urinary taurine (P less than 0.01),total duodenal bile salt concentrations (P less than 0.05), total duodenal tauroconjugates (P less than 0.05),taurocholate (P less than 0.01), taurochenodeoxycholate (P less than 0.05), and glycocholate (P less than 0.01), duodenal concentrations, and a significant decrease of the glycoconjugate/tauroconjugate ratio (P less than 0.05), were observed, but only in group I. in group II infants we only noted a significant increase of urinary taurine (P less than 0.01), and of duodenal total tauroconjugates (P less than 0.05). This study shows that the biliary effects of an oral taurine supplementation depends on taurine status and that in taurine-depleted infants intakes of exogenous taurine higher than 45 mumol/kg. 24 h are perhaps necessary for optimal bile salt effects.
Subject(s)
Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism , Infant, Newborn/metabolism , Taurine/pharmacology , Administration, Oral , Bile Acids and Salts/pharmacokinetics , Duodenum/metabolism , Humans , Taurine/administration & dosage , Taurine/blood , Taurine/urineABSTRACT
This study was carried out in metabolically stable infants aged from one to six months receiving artificial food. The lipid serum fraction presenting changes characteristic of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency was determined. A preliminary study (n = 13 samples) showed that analysis of total fatty acids (TFA) and of phospholipids (PL) was more discriminatory than analysis of free fatty acids (FFA), triglycerides (TG) or esterified cholesterol (EC). Comparison of TFA and PL (n = 25 samples) confirmed literature data; in particular, C18: 2 n-6 and C20: 4 n-6 decreased whereas C20: 3 n-9 increased. These changes were clearer and significantly greater (p less than 0.001) for C20: 3 n-9 and C20: 4 n-6 of the PL, but were also very significant for the TFA compared to healthy controls. The C20: n-9/C20: n-6 ratio was identical for all fractions. TFA analysis by gas-liquid chromatography is faster and less costly than analysis of lipid fractions and provides sufficient data for screening of EFA deficiency.
