Antimutagenic effects of taurine in a bacterial assay system
Laidlaw, S.A.; Dietrich, M.F.; Lamtenzan, M.P.; Vargas, H.I.; Block, J.B.; Kopple, J.D.
Cancer Research 49(23): 6600-6604
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-5472 PMID: 2479467 Document Number: 335747
Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) was evaluated as an antimutagen in the Ames Salmonella tester strain assay. Taurine inhibited mutagenesis by doxorubicin (-74%), bleomycin (-55%), mitomycin C (-56%), and 2-aminofluorene (-52%), but not danthrone or benzo(a)pyrene, in strain TA102. In strain TA98, doxorubicin mutagenicity, but not that of 2-aminofluorene or benzo(a)pyrene, was inhibted by taurine. N-Methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (-73%), but not dexon, mutagenicity was inhibited by taurine in strain TA100. Taurine inhibited those mutagens against which it was effective in a dose-related fashion. Taurine was more effective in inhibiting doxorubicin mutagenicity in strain TA102 than its analogues hypotaurine, .beta.-alanine, and guanidinoethansulfonic acid or alanine or glycine. The observed inhibition may indicate a role for taurine in modulating the activity of oxidant species.