Abstract:OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of prenatal application of taurine on mRNA expression of protein kinase A-cAMP response element binding protein (PKA-CREB) signal pathway and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in fetal rat brains of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). METHODS: Pregnant rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control, IUGR model, low-dose (100 mg/kg?d) and high-dose (300 mg/kg?d) taurine treatment IUGR (n=5 each). IUGR was induced by food restriction throughout pregnancy. PKA, CREB and GDNF mRNA expression in brains of newborn rats was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RETHODS: PKA, CREB and GDNF mRNA expression in the IUGR model group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group (P<0.05). Compared with the IUGR model group, mRNA expression of PKA and CREB in both the low-dose and high-dose taurine treatment groups increased significantly (P<0.05); GDNF mRNA expression in the high-dose taurine treatment group also increased significantly (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Taurine can increase mRNA expression of PKA, CREB and GDNF in fetal rat brains of IUGR. This suggests that prenatal application of taurine may increase neurogenesis of the central nervous system and endogenous secretion of neurotrophic factors, thus providing neuroprotective effects. ［Chin J Contemp Pediatr, 2009, 11 (11):923-926］
