Ethanol- and/or Taurine-Induced Oxidative Stress in Chick Embryos

Table 1

Effects of exogenous ethanol (EtOH) and/or taurine (Tau) on brain masses, brain caspase-3 (casp-3) activities, brain homocysteine (HoCys) levels, brain glutathione (GSH) levels, total brain thiol levels, and endogenous serum taurine levels in chick embryos at 11 days of development.

Exogenous taurine injected at 𝐸0−2	mg brain	Units of brain Casp-3 per mg brain protein	𝜇mol brain HoCys per g brain	pmol GSH per 𝜇g brain protein	pmol total thiols per 𝜇g brain protein	Endogenous serum taurine levels (𝜇M)
Controls (dH2O)	395.9 ± 144.0	22.32 ± 9.15	361.20 ± 71.186	105.61 ± 19.01	125.06 ± 24.16	16.53 ± 6.17
	𝑁=14	𝑁=9	𝑁=10	𝑁=12	𝑁=12	𝑁=5
1.5 mmol EtOH/Kg egg	344.4 ± 101.9	41.00* ± 15.62	559.11 ± 93.53	87.40* ± 7.64	111.74 ± 63.60	36.76* ± 7.58
	𝑁=14	𝑁=13	𝑁=9	𝑁=12	𝑁=12	𝑁=4
3.0 mmol EtOH/Kg egg	221.3* ± 76.6	40.64* ± 9.71	697.00* ± 112.24	84.68* ± 12.20	120.59 ± 48.44	50.58* ± 10.55
	𝑁=14	𝑁=14	𝑁=8	𝑁=15	𝑁=15	𝑁=4
4 𝜇mol Tau/Kg egg (0.5 mg/Kg egg)	249.1* ± 94.4	37.29* ± 12.75	828.44* ± 120.19	79.40* ± 13.89	101.61 ± 22.03	39.49* ± 8.49
	𝑁=14	𝑁=13	𝑁=9	𝑁=12	𝑁=15	𝑁=8
1.5 mmol EtOH/Kg egg and 4 𝜇mol Tau/Kg egg	291.2 ± 136.2	38.25* ± 14.28	1,122.13* ± 206.98	87.96* ± 18.92	62.48* ± 39.36	33.59* ± 8.52
	𝑁=14	𝑁=16	𝑁=8	𝑁=12	𝑁=13	𝑁=4
3.0 mmol EtOH/Kg egg and 4 μmol Tau/Kg egg	349.4 ± 115.1	41.77* ± 14.34	901.43* ± 426.13	85.10* ± 7.79	156.39 ± 62.35	46.37* ± 1.59
	𝑁=14	𝑁=10	𝑁=7	𝑁=8	𝑁=8	𝑁=4
ANOVA
𝐹 =	3.93	3.03	16.61	4.69	5.27	10.86
df =	5, 79	5, 70	5, 46	5, 66	5, 70	3, 24
𝑃≤	0.003	0.01	0.0001	0.001	0.0004	0.0001

Data presented as mean ± standard deviation.
Units of Casp-3: one unit of caspase-3 is defined as the release of 1 pmol of AMC liberated per minute from the 0.3 mM AcDEVD-AMC substrate at 30°C.
*Experimental group differs from controls at 𝑃≤0.05.