Taurine is often referred to as a semi-essential amino acid as newborn mammals have a limited ability to synthesize taurine and have to rely on dietary supply. Taurine is not thought to be incorporated into proteins as no aminoacyl tRNA synthetase has yet been identified and is not oxidized in mammalian cells. However, taurine contributes significantly to the cellular pool of organic osmolytes and has accordingly been acknowledged for its role in cell volume restoration following osmotic perturbation. This review describes taurine homeostasis in cells and organelles with emphasis on taurine biophysics/membrane dynamics, regulation of transport proteins involved in active taurine uptake and passive taurine release as well as physiological processes, for example, development, lung function, mitochondrial function, antioxidative defence and apoptosis which seem to be affected by a shift in the expression of the taurine transporters and/or the cellular taurine content.

Physiological role of taurine--from organism to organelle.

The unifying hypothesis of diabetes maintains that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in the mitochondria of glucose-treated cells promote reactions leading to the development of diabetic comp...

Role of antioxidant activity of taurine in diabetes.

In this review recent publications are cited for a number of antimutagens. The molecules surveyed are potential or proven "desmutagens" or "interceptors." These are biologically prevalent or synthetic molecules that are most often small metabolites proficient in binding to, or reacting with, mutagenic chemicals and free radicals. Many of this class of "blocking agents" are "soft" and "hard" nucleophiles with consequently varying abilities to react with particular classes of electrophiles, the major classes of direct-acting mutagens. Although they serve as a first line of defense against mutagens and carcinogens, many interceptor molecules are under-investigated with regard to their spectra of activity and their possible relevance to prophylaxis or treatment of human disease states.

Antimutagens and anticarcinogens: a survey of putative interceptor molecules.

Taurine, a sulphur containing amino acid, is the most abundant intracellular amino acid in humans, and is implicated in numerous biological and physiological functions. This comprehensive overview explores areas, from its characterisation to its potential clinical benefit as a conditionally essential amino acid and a pharmaconutrient. In healthy individuals the diet is the usual source of taurine; although in the presence of vitamin B6 it is also synthesised from methionine and cysteine. Taurine has a unique chemical structure that implies important physiological functions: bile acid conjugation and cholestasis prevention, antiarrhythmic/inotropic/chronotropic effects, central nervous system neuromodulation, retinal development and function, endocrine/metabolic effects and antioxidant/antiinflammatory properties. Taurine is an essential amino acid for preterm neonates and is assured by breast milk. Specific groups of individuals are at risk for taurine deficiency and may benefit from supplementation, e.g. patients requiring long-term parenteral nutrition (including premature and newborn infants); those with chronic hepatic, heart or renal failure. Further studies are required to determine the benefits of replenishing taurine pools as well as the need to include taurine routinely in parenteral nutrition regimens.

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Taurine: a conditionally essential amino acid in humans? An overview in health and disease.

1. Taurine is a ubiquitous, free amino acid found in mammalian systems. 2. The biological functions of taurine are unclear. 3. Various in vivo data suggest that taurine has a variety of protective functions and deficiency leads to pathological changes. 4. Depletion in rats of taurine increases susceptibility to liver damage from carbon tetrachloride. 5. Susceptibility to a variety of hepatotoxicants correlates with the estimated hepatic taurine level. 6. In vitro data suggest that taurine can protect cells against toxic damage. 7. Taurine protects isolated hepatocytes against carbon tetrachloride, hydrazine and 1,4-naphthoquinone but not against allyl alcohol, alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) or diaminodiphenyl methane (DAPM) cytotoxicity. 8. The mechanisms of protection are unclear but may include modulation of calcium levels, osmoregulation and membrane stabilization.

The in vivo and in vitro protective properties of taurine

In this study the authors describe the use of dietary taurine to protect hamster lung epithelium from acute nitrogen dioxide (NO2) injury. The conclusions were based on histologic, ultrastructural, and freeze-fracture analyses. Hamsters were pretreated for 14 days with 0.5% taurine in their drinking water. They were then exposed to either 7 or 30 ppm NO2 for 24 hours. The lungs from animals of these experimental groups were compared with those from hamsters treated with only NO2, and those given only taurine and with untreated controls. After treatment, hamsters were anesthetized and perfusion-fixed through the right side of the heart with a solution containing 1% glutaraldehyde, 4% paraformaldehyde, and 0.2 M cacodylate. The trachea and lungs were removed en bloc and stored overnight in cacodylate buffer at 4 C. Terminal and respiratory bronchioles, including alveolar ducts and peribronchiolar alveoli, were dissected from each lobe and processed for embedding in Epon and freeze-fracture replication. Light and transmission electron microscopy revealed the typical inflammatory cell infiltrate in the bronchiolar and alveolar duct regions in the lungs of hamsters exposed to NO2. The bronchiolar epithelium appeared flattened because of loss and breakage of cilia on ciliated cells and apical protrusions of Clara cells. Clara-cell secretory granules were reduced or absent. Freeze-fracture replicas of tight junctions of bronchiolar epithelium analyzed by morphometric techniques demonstrated a reduction and fragmentation of fibrils. Only animals exposed to 30 ppm NO2 exhibited physiologic intercellular penetration of horseradish peroxidase. Hamsters pretreated with taurine and then exposed to NO2 showed none of these alterations. They exhibited the same morphologic features as the untreated controls and the hamsters treated only with taurine. On the basis of this evidence, it is suggested that prophylactic dietary taurine can prevent acute NO2-induced morphologic lung injury. Taurine may also be effective in preventing lung injury induced by other oxidant gases.

Taurine protects hamster bronchioles from acute NO2-induced alterations. A histologic, ultrastructural, and freeze-fracture study.

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Taurine protects hamster bronchioles from acute NO2-induced alterations. A histologic, ultrastructural, and freeze-fracture study.