Taurine and taurine-deficiency in the perinatal period
-
L. Aerts
Abstract
Taurine, a non-protein sulfur amino-acid, is the most abundant free amino-acid in the body and plays an important role in several essential biological processes. Apart from its role in cholesterol degradation, it acts as neurotransmitter, and has a function as osmoregulator and antioxydant in most body tissues. During pregnancy, taurine accumulates in the maternal tissues, to be released in the perinatal period to the fetus via the placenta and to the newborn via the maternal milk. It is accumulated especially in the fetal and neonatal brain. Low maternal taurine levels result in low fetal taurine levels. Taurine-deficiency in the mother leads to growth retardation of the offspring, and to impaired perinatal development of the central nervous system and of the endocrine pancreas. The adult offspring of taurine-deficient mothers display signs of impaired neurological function, impaired glucose tolerance and vascular dysfunction; they may develop gestational diabetes and transmit the effects to the next generation. This transgeneration effect of taurine-deficiency in the perinatal period fits into the concept of fetal origin of adult disease.
Copyright © 2002 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
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- Congress Calendar
- WAPM-Newsletter No 2/2002
Articles in the same Issue
- Taurine and taurine-deficiency in the perinatal period
- The effect of betamethasone administration to pregnant women on maternal serum indicators of infection
- Chorioamnionitis: Elevated interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 concentrations in the lower uterine segment
- Tyrphostins inhibit lipopolysaccharide induced preterm labor in mice
- Amniotic fluid matrix metalloproteinase-8 and the development of cerebral palsy
- Echocardiographic screening for congenital heart disease: a randomized study
- Maternal obesity not maternal glucose values correlates best with high rates of fetal macrosomia in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes
- Increased endothelial thrombomodulin (TM) expression in pregnancies complicated by IUGR
- Serum amyloid A protein in the early detection of late-onset bacterial sepsis in preterm infants
- Carbon dioxide levels do not predict duration of home oxygen requirement: a retrospective study
- A congenital anterior diaphragmatic hernia with massive pericardial effusion requiring neither emergency pericardiocentesis nor operation. A case report and review of the literature
- Extravascular collection of fluid around the vertebra resulting from malpositioning of a peripherally inserted central venous catheter in extremely low birth weight infants
- Placental boost to varicella-zoster antibodies in the newborn
- Enhancing decision-making by depressed pregnant patients
- Congress Calendar
- WAPM-Newsletter No 2/2002
