Journal of Photosciences

Synergism Between Zinc and Taurine in the Visual Sensitivity of the Bullfrog's Eye

Volume 7(2000), 115-121 page

ÀúÀÚ: Hyun Jung Kim and You Young Kim

   7-3-115.pdf (104.0K)

Keywords: bullfrog  electroretinogram (ERG)  retina  retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)  taurine  zinc


Although there are high concentrations of zinc and taurine in ocular tissue, their exact role and correlation in the visual process are not clear.
The purpose of present study was to clarify this point using electroretinogram(ERG) recording and spectrophotometer measurements before and after zinc and taurine treatment in bullfrog¡¯s eye.
The optimal zinc concentration used in this study was 10-2 M ZnCl2 120 ¥ìl/12 ml ringer solution while the optimal taurine concentration was 10-2 M taurine 12 ¥ìl/12 ml ringer solution.
For the effects of zinc and taurine on the retinal function, the changes of ERG parameters (especially threshold and b-wave) and absorption spectra were observed before and after treatment.
It is noteworthy that high concentrations of zinc and taurine present in the retinal pigment epithelium and the retina.
Our results indicate that dark-adapted ERG threshold became elevated and the peak amplitude of b-wave was increased with zinc and taurine treatment.
Furthermore there are some synergism effects between zinc and taurine as a result of co-treatment.
In spectral scan, absorbance increment due to zinc and taurine treatment was shown over the whole range of spectral range (300-750 nm) with some differences in absorbance increment depending on the case of treatment.
As the results of above we believe that zinc and taurine, which are abundant in the retinal pigment epithelium and the retina particularly, may be essential factors for visual process, have some synergism with each other and be required to improve the visual sensitivity during visual adaptation.