Abstract
The number of interconnecting pathways involved in the synthesis of taurine and the effect of the addition of various precursor molecules are still relatively unknown in the cat. Earlier work at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (WCPN) showed that the addition of 17.0 g/kg fresh weight L-cystine to a taurine free semi-purified diet (basal diet contained 6.4 g/kg fresh weight L-cystine) resulted in higher plasma taurine levels than those on the basal taurine-free diet, although the differences were not statistically significantl. Studies with rats have shown that the addition of 14C-cysteine to a liver perfusate resulted in the formation of 14C-taurine2. When the work was repeated with cats, only three out of six animals showed an ability to synthesise 14C-taurine. The measured rate of hepatic taurine synthesis was found to be twice as rapid in the rat as in the cat liver. For an explanation of these differences we must look more closely at the taurine anabolic pathways.
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Earle, K.E., Smith, P.M. (1992). The Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Cysteic Acid on the Plasma Taurine Concentration of Cats Maintained on a Taurine-Restricted Diet. In: Lombardini, J.B., Schaffer, S.W., Azuma, J. (eds) Taurine. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 315. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3436-5_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3436-5_4
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