• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.201-212
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• 1992

Effect of exogenous taurine on HOCl, $NH_2Cl$ and other oxidants-induced degradation of hyaluronic acid was investigated. The scavenging action of taurine on HOCl, $NH_2Cl$ and other oxidants was examined. The antioxidant action of taurine was also compared with that of thiol compounds. Viscosity of hyaluronic acid was markedly decreased by HOCl and $NH_2Cl$ on a dose dependent fashion. The degradative effect of HOCl on hyaluronic acid was greater than that of $NH_2Cl$. Taurine effectively inhibited HOCl-and $NH_2Cl-induced$ degradation of hyaluronic acid in a dose dependent fashion. The degradative effect of HOCl was markedly inhibited by DMSO. $Fe^{2+}$ plus $H_2O_2-induced$ degradation of hyaluronic acid was inhibited by catalase and DMSO but not affected by taurine. The desradative action of xanthine and xanthine oxidase was effectively inhibited by SOD and catalase but not affected by taurine. HOCl was significantly decomposed by taurine, DMSO, GSH and MPG. Both absorbance of HOCl at 250 nm and absorbance of $NH_2Cl$ at 242 nm were significantly increased by the addition of taurine. Interaction of $NH_2Cl$ with GSH or MPG showed an initial peak absorbance, but these absorbances were gradually decreased with time. OH production in the presence of $Fe^{2+}$ and $H_2O_2$ was inhibited by catalase and DMSO but not affected by taurine. Taurine did not affect $^1O_2$ production by U.V. irradiation which is responsible for DABCO and DABA. GSH and MPG markedly inhibited the degradative action of HOCl. These results suggest that the protective action of taurine on oxidants-induced damages of tissue components, including degradation of hyaluronic acid may be attributable to both its scavenging action on HOCl and $NH_2Cl$ and the complex formation of taurine with HOCl or $NH_2Cl$ without scavenging action on oxygen free radicals. Sulfhydryl group of taurine appears to show partially a protective action on HOCl-and $NH_2Cl-induced$ degradation.