Taurine and magnesium supplementation enhances the function of endothelial progenitor cells through antioxidation in healthy men and spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract

Endothelial damage is repaired by endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are pivotal in preventing cardiovascular diseases and prolonging lifespan. The WHO Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison Study demonstrated that dietary taurine and magnesium (Mg) intake suppresses cardiovascular diseases. We herein evaluate the effects of taurine and Mg supplementation on EPC function and oxidative stress in healthy men and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Healthy men received taurine (3 g per day) or Mg (340 mg per day) for 2 weeks. SHRs and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were housed with high-salt drinking water (1% NaCl). The SHRs received 3% taurine solution and/or a high-Mg (600 mg per 100 g) diet for 4 weeks. Their peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated to quantify EPC colony formation. Oxidative stress markers in their peripheral blood were evaluated using a free radical analytical system and a thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) assay. Taurine and Mg supplementation significantly increased EPC colony numbers and significantly decreased free radical levels and TBARS scores in healthy men. Taurine and Mg supplementation significantly increased EPC colony numbers and significantly decreased TBARS scores and free radical levels in SHRs. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase component mRNA expression was significantly higher in the renal cortex of salt-loaded SHRs than in WKY rats, in which it was suppressed by taurine and Mg supplementation. Taurine and Mg supplementation increased EPC colony formation in healthy men and improved impaired EPC function in SHRs through antioxidation, indicating that the dietary intake of taurine and Mg may prolong lifespan by preventing the progression of cardiovascular diseases.

Effects and Mechanisms of Taurine as a Therapeutic Agent

“…Two recent clinical studies support the view that taurine therapy reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects ( Katakawa et al ., 2016 ; Sun et al ., 2016 ). Katakawa attributed the beneficial effects of taurine therapy against hypertension in humans to improved endothelial function secondary to a decline in oxidative stress.…”

“…Hypertension: Supplementation with taurine prevents the development of hypertension in several animal models ( Fujita and Sato, 1986 ; Ideishi et al ., 1994 ; Dawson et al ., 2000 ; Harada et al ., 2004 ; Hagar et al ., 2006 ; Hu et al ., 2009 ). In those models, taurine-mediated reductions in blood pressure appear to be mediated by a combination of diminished [Ca 2+ ] i , oxidative stress, sympathetic activity and inflammatory activity, as well as an improvement in renal function ( Sato et al ., 1991 ; Dawson et al ., 2000 ; Harada et al ., 2004 ; Hagar et al ., 2006 ; Mozaffari et al ., 2006 ; Hu et al ., 2009 ; Han and Chesney, 2012 ; Maia et al ., 2014 ; Katakawa et al ., 2016 ).…”

“…(2008) found that taurine enhances the beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acid supplementation on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Recently, Katakawa et al . (2016) attributed the diminished risk of atherogenesis in humans maintained on a diet supplemented with taurine and magnesium to reductions in oxidative stress and improvement in endothelial function.…”

Taurine mitigates cirrhosis-associated heart injury through mitochondrial-dependent and antioxidative mechanisms

“…On the other hand, many investigations mentioned the potential beneficial effects of Tau in cardiovascular diseases [ 20 , 21 ]. It has been found that Tau could exhibit regulatory effects on blood pressure [ 16 , 93 - 96 ]. Several clinical trials support the view that Tau administration reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients [ 16 , 93 , 94 ].…”

Former very preterm infants show alterations in plasma amino acid profiles at a preschool age

“…Taurine plasma concentrations were significantly lower in VPI in all statistical models applied. This is of interest, as taurine supplementation has been reported to reduce hypertension and stroke in experimental animal models as well as exert antioxidative effects in healthy male adults (35,36). In addition, urinary taurine excretion was shown to be inversely correlated with age-adjusted mortality rates of coronary heart disease (36).…”