• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.880-893
• /
• 2015

Taurine is an abundant amino acid in many animals, including humans. Relatively large amounts of taurine are found in leukocytes, heart, muscles, retinas, kidneys, bones, and liver. Taurine has antioxidant effects; it reacts with hydrogen peroxide to prevent oxidation of the cell membrane. Taurine enhances the effects of anticancer drugs, while also reducing side effects, and taurolidine, a taurine derivative, has been shown to exhibit anti-cancer effects without notable side effects in several types of cancer. Taurine aids in cholesterol metabolism by increasing the rate of synthesis of bile acids, and, thus, reduces triglyceride levels. In addition, taurine is involved in the growth and differentiation of nerve cells and is associated with some neurological disorders. Taurine aids in bone formation and prevents bone dissolution. Moreover, taurine prevents liver damage from a variety of drugs and, thus, protects the liver. Taurine is involved in the development and function of the retina and lens. It also has anti-atherosclerotic and anti-thrombotic effects that protect against cardiovascular disease. Taurine may have additional physiological functions, and warrants further investigation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.1 no.5
• /
• pp.537-546
• /
• 1997

It has been postulated that the intracellular taurine is co-transported with $Na^+$down a concentration gradient and prevents the intracellular accumulation of sodium. It is therefore, expected that an elevated level of intracellular taurine prevents the sodium-promoted calcium influx to protect the cellular damages associated with sodium and calcium overload. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of intra- and extracellular taurine on the myocardial $Na^+$and$Ca^{++}$ contents and the cardiac functions in isolated rat hearts which were loaded with sodium by monensin, a $Na^+-ionophore$. Monensin caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular $Na^+$ accompanied with a subsequent increase in intracellular $Ca^{++}$ and a mechanical dysfunction. In this monensin-treated heart, myocardial taurine content was decreased with a concomittent increase in the release of taurine. The monensin-induced increases in intracellular $Na^+$, $Ca^{++}$ and depression of cardiac function were prevented in the hearts of which taurine content had been increased by high-taurine diet. Conversely, in the hearts of which taurine concentration gradient had been decreased by addition of taurine in the perfusate, the monensin-induced increases in $Na^+$, $Ca^{++}$ and functional depression were accelerated. These results suggest that taurine, depending on the intra-extracellular concentration gradient, can affect intracellular sodium and calcium concentrations, and that an increased intracellular taurine may play a role in protection of myocardial dysfunction associated with the sodium and calcium overload.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1998.11a
• /
• pp.156-157
• /
• 1998

Taurine is synthesized in the body or uptaken from dietary and is distributed in the various organs. It differs from other amino acids by virtue of the fact that a sulfonic acid group replaces the carboxyl group of what would be ${\beta}$-alanine. In order to function within the cell it must be transported into the cells by taurine transporter that is spanned 12 transmembrane domains. The human taurine transporter has long cytoplasmic carboxy and amino termini that may function as regulatory attachment sites for other proteins. Six potential protein kinase C(PKC) phosphorylation sites have been reported in human taurine transporter.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.236-244
• /
• 2018

Taurine has been reported to prevent cardiovascular disease and improve liver function, diabetes, and platelet function. However, there are few studies on the effects of taurine in Koreans. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of basal doses of taurine on blood glucose, liver disease, and lipid diseases among Korean college students. The study included a taurine intake group and a control group; each group consisted of 15 students. Taurine was administered at a standard dose of 1,000 mg for 2 weeks postprandial. All subjects were excluded from medication or other food besides meals provided by the dormitory. The liver test gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in the taurine group decreased to $23.53{\pm}25.73IU/L$ before intake and to $15.15{\pm}4.91IU/L$ after intake (P=0.186). Lipid metabolite triglyceride (TG) was $100.42{\pm}28.33mg/dL$ before intake and $80.22{\pm}17.08mg/dL$ after intake (P<0.05). Total cholesterol (T-Cho), low density cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Consequently, taurine improved liver function and lipid metabolism. Hematologic tests showed a decrease in segmented neutrophil percentage and an increase in lymphocyte percentage. Thus, taurine also seems to be related to immunological function.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.155-162
• /
• 2005

The present study evaluated whether an exogenous antioxidants, taurine and $\alpha$-tocopherol, could, when added to the freezing extender, improve the post-thaw sperm characteristics, function, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in frozen-thawed porcine semen. CASA (computer-aided sperm analysis), HOST (hypoos-motic swelling test), chemiluminescence using luminol and lucigenin and the detection of malondialdehyde for LPO was performed in frozen-thawed porcine sper-matozoa. The results obtained in these studies are as follows. While no beneficial effects of taurine and $\alpha$-tocopherol supplementation were visible in motility, viability, acrosome reaction, tail swelling patterns, and the generation of $O^{2-}$ of frozen-thawed porcine sper-matozoa, $H_{2}O_{2}$ was decreased by all treatments except taurine 50mM treatment. In conclusion the taurine and $\alpha$-tocopherol treatments during freezing reduced generation of reactive oxygen species and production of malondialdehyde in frozen-thawed porcine semen, and the ROS savangers may minimize various damages of spermatozoa during freezing.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.404-414
• /
• 2015

Taurine is one of the most abundant free ${\beta}$-amino acids in the human body that accounts for 0.1% of the human body weight. It has a sulfonic acid group in place of the more common carboxylic acid group. Mollusks and meat are the major dietary source of taurine, and mother's milks also include high levels of this amino acid. The leukocytes, heart, muscle, retina, kidney, bone, and brain contain more taurine than other organs. Furthermore, taurine can be synthesized in the brain and liver from cysteine. There are no side effects of excessive taurine intake in humans; however, in case of taurine deficiency, retinal abnormalities, reduced plasma taurine concentration, and other abnormalities may occur. Taurine enters the cell via a cell membrane receptor. It is excreted in the urine (approximately 95%) and feces (approximately 5%). Taurine has a number of features and functions, including conjugation with bile acid, reduction of blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, promotion of neuron cell differentiation and growth, antioxidant effects, maintenance of cell membrane stability, retinal development, energy generation, depressant effects, regulation of calcium level, muscle contraction and relaxation, bone formation, anti-inflammatory effects, anti-cancer and anti-atherogenic effects, and osmotic pressure control. However, the properties, functions, and effects of taurine require further studies in future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.87-87
• /
• 2003

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, $^{+}NH_3CH_2CH_2{SO_3}^{-}$) is endogenous $\beta$-amino acid which is essential in fetal nutrition and development and is present in abundant quantities in several tissues of fetus. In utero, taurine deficiency causes abnormal development and abnormal function of brain, retina, kidney and myocardium. Thus, transfer of taurine into fetus is important during embryonic development. Taurine transporter (TauT) has 12 hydrophobic membrane -spanning domains, which is typical of the $Na^{+}$- and $Cl^{-}$-dependent transporter gene family. Among the various biosynthetic enzymes of taurine, cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (CSD) is the rate-limiting enzyme for biosynthesis of taurine. However, the enzyme activities of taurine biosynthesis are limited in early stage of embryonic development. To analyze the expression period of TauT and CSD during embryonic development, we have investigated the gene expression of TauT and CSD using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in mouse and chicken embryos. RT-PCR anaylsis revealed that both TauT and CSD mRNAs were already expressed at Day-4.5 in mouse embryo. In chicken whole embryo, TauT and CSD mRNAs began to appear on developing times of 48 hrs and 12 hrs, respectively. TauT mRNA was detected in the organs of heart, brain and eye of the day-3 chicken embryo. Our data show that TauT and CSD mRNAs were expressed in early stage of embryonic development.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.163-168
• /
• 2005

The present investigation was undertaken in vivo to determine whether the functional alterations of hepatic mitochondria induced by ethanol might be prevented by taurine. We examined the effects of supplementation of taurine on hepatic mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in the chronic ethanol-administered rats. Isolated hepatic mitochondria from three groups of rats were functionally tested by an analysis of $\beta-hydroxbutyrate-supported$ respiration and the coupling of this process to ATP synthesis in the presence of ADP. The three groups were control group(CO), ethanol(60g/L) administered group (AL), and ethanol (60g/L) + taurine (5g/L) supplemented group (AT). Ethanol and/or taurine were given in drinking water for 10 weeks. The mitochondria from AL group had lower state 4 respiratory rate, respiratory control (RC) ratio and ADP : O(P/O) ratio than those from CO and AT group. It showed that the ethanol administered rats were less coupled and thus less efficient with respect to mitochondrial ATP synthesis than both control rats and ethanol + taurine supplemented rats. It suggests that taurine supplementation might improve the impaired oxidative phosphorylation efficiency in mitochondrial dysfunction that is recognized as a cause of liver diseases in chronic ethanol consumption.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.115-121
• /
• 2000

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 clarity 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 ZnCl$_2$120 ${mu}ell$/12$m\ell$ ringer solution while the optimal turine concentration was 10$^{-2}$ M taurine 12${mu}ell$/12$m\ell$ 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.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.527-532
• /
• 1995

Human taurine transporter has 12 transmembrane domains and its molecular weight is 69.6 kDa. The long cytoplasmic carboxy and amino termini might function as regulatory attachment sites for other proteins. Six potential protein kinase C phosphorylation sites have been reported in human taurine transporter. In this report, we studied the effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and glucocorticoid hormone on taurine transportation in the RAW 264.7, mouse macrophage cell line. When the cells were incubated with $[^{3}H]taurine$ in the presence or absence of $Na^+$ ion for 40 min at $37^{\circ}C$, the [$[^{3}H]taurine$ uptake rate was 780-times higher in the $Na^{+}-containing$ buffer than in the $Na^{+}-deficient$ buffer, indicating that this cell line expresses taurine transporter protein on the cell surface. THP1, a human promonocyte cell line, also showed a similar property. The $[^{3}H]taurine$ uptake rate was not influenced by the inflammatory inducing cytokines such as interleukin-1, gamma-interferon or interleukin-1+gamma-interferon, but was decreased by the PMA in the RAW 264.7 cell line. This suggests that activation of protein kinase C inhibits taurine transporter activity directly or indirectly. The inhibition of $[^{3}H]taurine$ uptake by PMA was time-dependent. Maximal inhibition occurred in one hr stimulation with PMA Increasing the treatment time beyond one h reduced the $[^{3}H]taurine$ uptake inhibition due to the depletion or inactivation of protein kinase C. The cell line also showed concentration-dependent $[^{3}H]taurine$ uptake under PMA stimulation. The phorbol-ester caused 23% inhibition at the concentration of 1 ${\mu}m$ PMA. The inhibition was significant even at a concentration as low as 10 nM PMA The reduced $[^{3}H]taurine$ uptake could be recovered by treatment with glucocorticosteroid hormone. Dexamethasone led to recover of the reduced taurine uptake induced by phorbol-ester, recovering maximally after one hr. This may suggest that macrophage cells require higher taurine concentration in a stressed state, for the secretion of glucocorticoid hormone is increased by hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activation in the blood stream.