Effects of β-alanine treatment on the taurine and DNA content of the rat heart and retina

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Abstract
Experimental evidence has suggested that the high endogenous levels of taurine found in the rat heart and retina are maintained to a large extent by transport processes out of the blood, rather than by endogenous biosynthesis. When these high levels are depleted, dysfunction ensues. In vitro studies have shown that β-alanine is a good antagonist of these transport processes. The current studies were done to evaluate the feasibility of depleting heart and retinal taurine levels in vivo through treatment of adult rats either orally or with injections of β-alanine. None of the treatments had significant effects on retinal taurine content; ventricular taurine was reduced in some situations, but the effects were not maintained, nor as large as with another transport antagonist. No functional changes were observed. Oral treatment with β-alanine had fewer obvious side effects than injections, but all treated rats had body weights less than age-matched controls.