Taurine-Diabetes Interaction: From Involvement to Protection

Abstract

Diabetes is a complex nature. To alleviate this, nutritional intervention provides much scope and hope, and taurine has been placed under this category successfully. An adult human weighing 70 kg contains about 70 g taurine. Taurine in diabetes has an age old story; taurine is involved in the development and protection of insulin apparatus. Taurine and insulin both have mutual stimulating actions with hypoglycemic properties. On the clinical front, taurine supplementation has acceptable beneficial effect in platelet aggregation and to name a few more, in neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, nephropathy and retinopathy. Recent studies have provided a role for taurine in fetal development and also in blocking the transfer of diabetes from diabetic mother to offspring. A number of mechanisms for taurine's actions have been advocated, from osmoregulation to anti-oxidation. Though sulfonylurea and recently introduced thiazolidinediones are effective, they are also not free from complications, thus needs to design new therapeutics. As taurine is also a sulfonyl derivative and it will be of great interest to develop taurine analogues as an alternative therapy. Considering the great involvement of taurine in diabetes, this review may provide a holistic view of taurine in diabetes and in its prevention, in this century.

Metabolomics approach revealed robust changes in amino acid and biogenic amine signatures in patients with schizophrenia in the early course of the disease

“…Besides, an elevated level of taurine may, in part, be associated with a compensatory strategy against disrupted glucose and lipid metabolism, seen in patients with SCH and during the AP-treatment 47 . Beneficial effects of taurine appear to be mostly based on various protective effects against high glucose level 48 and positive effects on lipid metabolism 49 .…”

Taurine ameliorates hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia by reducing insulin resistance and leptin level in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats with long-term diabetes

“…Taurine (2-aminoethylsulphonic acid) is a non-protein amino acid present in almost all animal tissues, most abundantly as a free intracellular amino acid in human cells (Kim et al, 2007). Due to its unique chemical structure, taurine is involved in numerous biological and physiological functions that confer important health benefits.…”

A Comprehensive Insight into Potential Roles of Taurine on Metabolic Variables in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review

“…Taurine (IUPAC name: 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, chemical formula: NH2CH2CH2SO3H) is a semiessential β-sulphonated amino acid containing a sulfonic group instead of carboxylic group and an amino group that synthesized predominantly in the liver through cysteine sulfinic acid pathway. 41 intermediate in the biosynthesis of taurine, is formed following dioxygenation of cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid by cysteine dioxygenase and the decarboxylation of cysteine sulfinic acid catalyzed by sulfinoalanine decarboxylase. 42 Ultimately, hypotaurine dehydrogenase allows the oxidation of hypotaurine to taurine.…”

“…47 While taurine distribution modifies under diabetic conditions resulting from selectively impaired transport of taurine. 41…”