Preclinical studies have shown that the amino acid taurine is of importance for the dopamine elevating properties of ethanol. Taurine intake has escalated over the last decade due to increased consumption of taurine-containing energy drinks and dietary supplements. Whether long-term intake of large amounts of taurine induces adaptations affecting ethanol-induced dopamine elevation is not clear. Thus the aim of the present studies was to explore the impact of repeated administration of large amounts of taurine on ethanol-induced behavior and dopamine neurotransmission. Repeated daily systemic administration of taurine increased taurine-induced locomotor activity and rearing. Acute administration of taurine and ethanol in naïve animals produced an additive effect on extracellular taurine but no alteration of the ethanol-induced dopamine elevation, as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Sub-chronic administration of taurine did not modify the taurine- or dopamine-elevating properties of ethanol. Daily taurine treatment also failed to change the mRNA expression of the taurine transporter and GABA_A- and glycine-receptor subunits, as measured by qPCR in nucleus accumbens tissue. We conclude that systemic administration of taurine may have long lasting central effects, here displayed as behavioral sensitization. However, repeated daily exposure to taurine does not appear to influence the dopamine elevating properties of ethanol.

临床前研究表明，氨基酸牛磺酸对提高乙醇的多巴胺性质很重要。在过去十年中，由于含牛磺酸的能量饮料和膳食补充剂的消费量增加，牛磺酸的摄入量呈上升趋势。长期摄入大量牛磺酸是否会诱导适应，从而影响乙醇诱导的多巴胺升高，目前尚不清楚。因此，本研究的目的是探讨重复施用大量牛磺酸对乙醇诱导的行为和多巴胺神经传递的影响。每天重复进行牛磺酸的全身性给药可增加牛磺酸诱导的自发活动和饲养。在幼稚动物中急性施用牛磺酸和乙醇可对细胞外牛磺酸产生累加效应，但不会改变乙醇引起的多巴胺升高，通过体内微透析测量。牛磺酸的亚慢性给药并未改变乙醇的牛磺酸或多巴胺升高特性。每日牛磺酸治疗也未能改变牛磺酸转运蛋白和GABA的mRNA表达_如qPCR在伏伏核组织中测得的_A和甘氨酸受体亚基。我们得出结论，牛磺酸的全身性给药可能具有持久的中心作用，此处表现为行为敏感性。但是，每天反复接触牛磺酸似乎并不影响乙醇的多巴胺升高特性。