The Origin of Taurine Excreted in the Urine after Whole-body Irradiation

Summary

Irradiated rats excrete an excess of taurine in the urine during the first day after exposure. The injection of a large dose of cortisone has a similar effect. If rats are given smaller injections of cortisone daily for a week, subsequent irradiation no longer increases the excretion of taurine. Since both cortisone and ionizing radiation readily destroy lymphocytes, it is thought that the radiation-induced excretion of taurine may be wholly accounted for by damage to lymphoid tissues, which contain a high concentration of taurine. The amount of taurine excreted after irradiation may provide an estimate of the total amount of lymphoid tissue in the body.