Taurine is protective against oxidative stress during cold ischemia in the rat kidney

Aim: Recent studies in rats have shown that taurine can prevent oxidative changes induced in renal tissue by ischemiaand reperfusion. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether taurine can prevent oxidative changes that occur in the renal tissue during a long period of cold ischemia.Materials and methods: Oxidative changes were evaluated histologically and biochemically in kidneys from a total of 40 rats, which were assigned to 1 of 4 groups of 10 rats each: control group (no taurine given, kidneys evaluated immediately after removal), taurine group (as in the control group, except that taurine was given orally at a dose of 150 mg/kg per day for 3 days preceding kidney removal), ischemia group (no taurine given, kidneys evaluated after 72 h of ischemia at 4 °C in University of Wisconsin solution), and taurine plus ischemia group (as in the taurine group, except that kidneys subsequently underwent cold ischemia as in the ischemia group).Results: Compared to the ischemia group, the taurine plus ischemia group showed significantly lower levels of malondialdehyde and significantly higher activities of copper and zinc dependent superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase.Conclusion: Orally administered taurine appears to ameliorate the oxidative stress that occurs in kidneys during cold ischemia. Compared to the ischemia group, the taurine plus ischemia group had significantly less tubular necrosis, and glomerular and epithelial injury.