The Effect of Taurine on the Sulfate-S35 Retention by Chicks

Abstract Lowe and Roberts (1955) found that sulfate-S35 injected into the chick embryo was present as taurine S35 within 30 minutes of the injection, but none was present as cystine, methionine, or glutathione. Machlin et al. (1955) showed that a large portion of the sulfate-S35 administered to the 24-hour chick embryo was recovered as taurine in the day old chick. These workers suggested that the embryo was unable to use sulfate-S35 for cysteine synthesis which occurs in the growing chicken and the hen. Machlin (1955) fed sulfate-S35 to 2-week old chicks for one week and found 23% of the S35 in the carcass, of which 19% was as taurine-S35, with none as cysteine or methionine. Adult white rats were dosed with Na2S35O4 and subsequently sacrificed; a small quantity of the S35 was found as liver taurine, but none as cystine or methionine (Bostrom and Aqvist, 1952). The effect of 0.1 percent …