TY - JOUR
T1 - Visual acuity loss ion rhesus monkey infants fed a taurine‐free human infant formula
AU - Neuringer, M.
AU - Sturman, J.
PY - 1987
Y1 - 1987
N2 - This study examinedthe effects of dietary taurine deprivation on visual development in rhesus monkeys. From birth to 3 months of age, rhesus monkeys were fed a taurine‐free, soy protein‐based infant formula, or the same formula supplemented with taurine. The early postnatal development of visual function was assessed with behavioral measurements of visual acuity. Plasma taurine levels in the taurine‐deprived group fell to 35–50% of control values, as in human infants fed similar formulas. The visual acuity of the taurine‐deprived infants was significantly impaired: acuity thresholds differed from control values by nearly a factor of 2 at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of age. The loss of acuity is associated with morphological changes in photoreceptors, particularly cones in the foveal region. These results provide direct evidence that taurine is essential for normal visual development in primates, and they support the nutritional importance of taurine for human infants.
AB - This study examinedthe effects of dietary taurine deprivation on visual development in rhesus monkeys. From birth to 3 months of age, rhesus monkeys were fed a taurine‐free, soy protein‐based infant formula, or the same formula supplemented with taurine. The early postnatal development of visual function was assessed with behavioral measurements of visual acuity. Plasma taurine levels in the taurine‐deprived group fell to 35–50% of control values, as in human infants fed similar formulas. The visual acuity of the taurine‐deprived infants was significantly impaired: acuity thresholds differed from control values by nearly a factor of 2 at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of age. The loss of acuity is associated with morphological changes in photoreceptors, particularly cones in the foveal region. These results provide direct evidence that taurine is essential for normal visual development in primates, and they support the nutritional importance of taurine for human infants.
KW - infant nutrition
KW - retina
KW - visual development
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U2 - 10.1002/jnr.490180413
DO - 10.1002/jnr.490180413
M3 - Article
C2 - 3437473
AN - SCOPUS:0023489707
SN - 0360-4012
VL - 18
SP - 597
EP - 601
JO - Journal of Neuroscience Research
JF - Journal of Neuroscience Research
IS - 4
ER -