Taurine has a protective effect against thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis by decreasing oxidative stress

Abstract

<jats:p> Thioacetamide (TAA) administration (0.3 g/l of tap water for a period of 3 months) to rats resulted in hepatic cirrhosis as assessed by biochemical and histopathological findings. This treatment caused an increase in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and diene conjugates (DCs) and a decrease in the levels of glutathione (GSH), vitamin E, vitamin C and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver of rats. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were unchanged. Taurine (2% w/w, added to the chow diet) was administered together with TAA (0.3 g/l of drinking water) for 3 months. Taurine was found to decrease TAA-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation and to increase TAA-depleted vitamin E levels and GSH-Px activities. Histopathological findings also suggested that taurine has an inhibitive effect on TAA-induced hepatic cirrhosis. These results indicate that taurine treatment has a protective effect against TAAinduced liver cirrhosis by decreasing oxidative stress. </jats:p>

Taurine Treatment Reduces Hepatic Lipids and Oxidative Stress in Chronically Ethanol-Treated Rats.

“…4) Some investigators have demonstrated that taurine, when coadministered with ethanol, reduced ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis and lipid peroxidation. 5) Our recent studies have also shown that taurine treatment has a protective effect against thioacetamide-induced hepatic necrosis 6) and cirrhosis 7) by decreasing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced liver injury.…”

Improving Effect of Dietary Taurine Supplementation on the Oxidative Stress and Lipid Levels in the Plasma, Liver and Aorta of Rabbits Fed on a High-Cholesterol Diet

“…It is therefore possible that another mechanism besides the improving eŠect on the serum lipoprotein level may play an important role in the decreasing or preventive eŠect of taurine on atherosclerosis. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that a taurine treatment had a protective eŠect against thioacetamide-induced hepatic necrosis 6) and cirrhosis 7) by decreasing oxidative stress. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.…”

Effect of a Taurine Treatment on the Regression of Existing Atherosclerotic Lesions in Rabbits Fed on a High-cholesterol Diet

“…1) Some investigators have suggested that taurine has hypolipidemic, 2,3) antiatherosclerotic [4][5][6] and hepatoprotective effects. [7][8][9] Although the mechanism for these effects of taurine is not clear, the effects may be related to its hypolipidemic and/or antioxidative effect. 1,6) We have recently reported that taurine ameliorated cholesterol accumulation and cholesterol-induced oxidative stress in the plasma, liver, and aorta of rabbits fed on a high-cholesterol (HC) diet, and that this may have been related to its antioxidative effect, besides the reducing effect on serum lipids in this study.…”