Objective     To explore the effect of taurine on glucose transporter type 1（GLUT-1）in rat retina and investigate the protection mechanism of taurine to hypoxia.      Methods     Ninety-six adult Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups randomly. The rats in control group (C)

4 500-meter hypoxia group (45H)and 5 500-meter hypoxia group (55H) were fed with regular forage

while the rats in taurine group (T)

4 500-meter hypoxia combining with taurine group (45HT)and 5 500-meter hypoxia with taurine group (55HT) were supplemented with forage containing 2.4% taurine for one week. Then rats of 45H

45HT

55H

and 55HT groups were put into low-pressure chamber in which air condition at 4 500-meter and 5 500-meter altitude was simulated respectively. On day 0

1

2

3 after hypoxia

retinas were taken out to extract total RNA and protein. Expression of GLUT-1 in retina was determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting.      Results     The expression of GLUT-1 mRNA and protein in retina decreased on day 1 after hypoxia

（P0.05）

began to rise on day 2

and mRNA returned to control level and protein expression overpassed control level on day 3. Taurine up-regulated the expression as compared with hypoxia groups.      Conclusion     Taurine will promote the adaptability adjustment of hypoxic retina through up-regulating GLUT-1 that keeps normal visual function in high-altitude hypoxia.