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High-affinity uptake of taurine and β-alanine in primary cultures of rat astrocytes

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Abstract

The kinetics and specificity of taurine and β-alanine uptake were studied in primary cultures of rat astrocytes under identical experimental conditions. The uptake consisted of nonsaturable penetration and saturable high-affinity transport that was strictly sodium dependent. The cells accumulated taurine more effectively than β-alanine, both the affinity and uptake capacity being greater for taurine. Taurine uptake was competitively inhibited by β-alanine and GABA, the former being more potent. Also, hypotaurine and 2-guanidinoethanesulphonic acid strongly reduced taurine uptake, but L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid had no significant effect. β-Alanine uptake was also competitively inhibited by GABA, but the most potent inhibitors were hypotaurine and 2-guanidinoethanesulphonic acid.l-2,4-Diaminobutyric acid was moderately active. The uptake systems for taurine and β-alanine were thus in principle similar, and they exhibited certain characteristics typical for a neurotransmitter amino acid. The inhibition studies further suggest the existence of only one common transport system for taurine, β-alanine, and GABA in cultured primary astrocytes. The same uptake system may also be used for hypotaurine.

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  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Tampere, Box 607, SF-33101, Tampere, Finland

    I. Holopainen & Pirjo Kontro

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  1. I. Holopainen
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  2. Pirjo Kontro
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Holopainen, I., Kontro, P. High-affinity uptake of taurine and β-alanine in primary cultures of rat astrocytes. Neurochem Res 11, 207–215 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00967969

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