Cardioprotective Effects of Cysteine Alone or in Combination With Taurine in Diabetes

Abstract

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.

Taurine and cardiac disease: state of the art and perspectives

“…The beneficial effects of taurine have been demonstrated in many diseases such as decreased serum low-density lipoprotein, decreased progression of atherosclerosis, and protection against ischemiareperfusion injury of the myocardium (Schaffer and Kim 2018;Xu et al 2008;Abebe and Mozaffari 2011;Lambert et al 2015;De Luca et al 2015). Besides, the beneficial effects of taurine in diabetic cardiovascular complications are well documented (Franconi et al 1995(Franconi et al , 2004Inam-U-Llah et al 2018;Lewis et al 2014;Manna et al 2013;Tappia et al 2011Tappia et al , 2013Tappia et al , 2018Turan 2010). It has been suggested that taurine increases the high-energy phosphate content of the heart (Schaffer and Kim 2018;Schaffer et al 2016).…”

Potential Therapies Targeting the Metabolic Reprogramming of Diabetes-Associated Breast Cancer

“…Instead of depleting cysteine, cysteine supplementation is suggested in DM to increase glutathione synthesis. It prevents macrovascular complications by protecting cells against reactive oxidative species [ 91 , 92 , 93 ].…”