This study was undertaken to examine the effects of dietary supplementation of cysteine and taurine in rats with diabetes induced with streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg body weight). Experimental animals were treated orally (by gavage) with cysteine (200 mg/kg) and taurine (400 mg/kg), alone or in combination, daily for 8 weeks. In one group, rats were also pretreated 3 weeks before the induction of diabetes (prevention arm) whereas in the other, the treatment was started 3 days after the induction of diabetes (reversal arm). Diabetes increased heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) ratio, plasma glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels as well as depressed heart rate (HR), blood pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), rate of contraction (+dP/dt), rate of relaxation (-dP/dt), fractional shortening (FS) and cardiac output (CO). The left ventricular internal diameter in systole (LViDs) was increased whereas that in diastole (LViDd) was decreased. In the prevention arm, treatment of the diabetic animals with cysteine or taurine decreased HW/BW ratio and improved HR, FS, +dP/dt and -dP/dt, as well as normalized LViDs, without altering the increase in glucose level. Cysteine decreased plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels and improved LVSP whereas CO was improved by taurine. In the reversal arm, cysteine alone or with taurine did not correct the changes in hemodynamic parameters, FS and plasma triglycerides. Diabetes-induced cardiac dysfunction and increases in plasma triglycerides can be prevented, but not reversed, by dietary cysteine alone or in combination with taurine.

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The vascular endothelium is a dynamic structure which lines the entire circulatory and lymphatic systems and interacts with local and systemic stimuli. It plays an important role in such processes as vasoconstriction/vasorelaxation, inflammation, cell proliferation, and hemostasis. Dysfunction of endothelial cells contributes to the development of different diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and peripheral arterial disease, which are commonly seen in patients with chronic diabetes. Various risk factors including low density lipoprotein oxidation, inflammation, thrombosis as well as imbalance between NO and endothelin production are considered to induce the VE dysfunction and associated cardiovascular diseases. Although several interventions such as thrombolytic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidants, NO donors, endothelin inhibitors and stem cell therapy are used for the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease, none of these have been found to exert satisfactory beneficial effects. Thus a great deal of research work needs to be carried out to define the exact molecular targets and develop newer therapies for the treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease.

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