Use of urinary taurine and creatine as biomarkers of organ dysfunction and metabolic perturbations

We have shown that urinary taurine and creatine may be used as biomarkers of pathological and biochemical lesions. Detection of changes in the urinary concentration of these two low-molecular-weight metabolites indicates biochemical lesions which may also be associated with pathological damage. Thus changes in protein or glutathione metabolism will lead to changes in urinary taurine. Hepatotoxicants which cause necrosis, but do not affect glutathione status or reduce bile flow, cause taurinuria and creatinuria. Hepatotoxicants which cause fatty liver only cause taurinuria. Testicular toxicants only cause creatinuria. Compounds which result in increased glutathione synthesis, stimulate protein synthesis or reduce bile flow decrease urinary taurine. A combination of the two markers, therefore, can be used to help diagnose a variety of biochemical and pathological lesions.