Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effect of taurine on myocardial injury in rats with severe burns. METHDOS: 110 healthy adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups:the normal control (n=10, without burns), the burn group (n=50, subjected to a 30 % total body surface area III degree scald injury), and the group treated with taurine (n=50), by abdominal cavity injection taurine (400 mg·kg^-1) after scald injury immediately.Levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), troponin (cTnT) and angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ) in plasma and content of TNF-α, Ang Ⅱ in myocardiumwere assayed at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h postburn. RESULTS: Plasma cTnT increased markedly at 3h postburn, peaking at 12 h, and it was still higher than that of the control at 24 h postburn.TNF-αin plasma and myocardium also increased markedly at 6 h postburn, peaking at 12 h postbrun, and decreased somewhat at 24 h postburn, but it was still higher than that of the control group.Plasma Ang Ⅱ increased significantly at 1 h postburn, peaking at 6 h postburn, and it was also higher than that of the control in plasma and myocardium at 24 h postburn.After treated with taurine, however, levels of cTnT, TNF-αand Ang Ⅱ in plasma and myocardium decreased significantly compared with that of the burn group.Additionally, the levels of TNF-αand Ang Ⅱ in plasma were correlated with cTnT levels. CONCLUSION: Taurine can protect myocardium from injury following severe burns.

Key words: burns, myocardial injury, taurine, tropomin T, tumor necrosis factor, angiotensin Ⅱ