n addition to the copious amount of information of the role of taurine in
retinal degeneration in cats, other animal models provide insight as to how
taurine could possibly participate in cytoprotection of the photoreceptors.
Rats generally do not prove to be excellent models for studying retinal
degeneration owing to their ability to make taurine from endogenous
precursors. This is not to say that rats cannot be used to study retinal
degeneration as there are models for such studies in rats. One model is the
use of guanidinoethanesulfonic acid (GES), a potent TauT inhibitor.
Administration of GES depletes stores of taurine within 2 weeks (Hruska
et al. 1978; Huxtable et al. 1979), with retinal levels diminished by 60 -70%
(Lake 1981; Lake 1982). l disease retinitis pigmentosa.
While we have much information as to how taurine participates in retinal
health, there remains many unanswered questions.