TAURINE IN DEVELOPING RAT BRAIN: CHANGES IN BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER

Abstract— The fate of ³⁵S]taurine injected intraperitoneally or intracranially has been compared in rats throughout neonatal development. The amount of ³⁵S]taurine present in the whole rat pup 24 h after intraperitoneal injection increases during development to a maximum 15 days after birth, and declines thereafter, whereas the amount of ³⁵S]taurine reaching the brain 24 h after intraperitoneal injection was greatest in the first 5 days after birth. The amount of ³⁵S]taurine remaining in the brain 24 h after intracranial injection does not vary throughout the period of neonatal development. These results suggest that the 'blood-brain' barrier is more accessible to taurine in the first few days after birth than later in neonatal development, and that factors other than simple exchange are involved.