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Taurine Treatment for Complications of Diabetes

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Studies in Diabetes

Abstract

Taurine is a β-amino acid found ubiquitously in all cell types. Taurine has physiological roles as an osmolyte and antioxidant and plays a critical role in bile acid secretion. Intracellular taurine content is regulated by the taurine transporter (TauT), the expression of which is reduced in vitro by high glucose and in vivo in animal models of diabetes. In patients with diabetes, circulating and tissue taurine content are depleted proportionately with HbA1c. Taurine supplementation restores circulating and cellular taurine content and many of both in vitro and in vivo physiological and molecular biomarkers of diabetic complications. How this is achieved by an amino acid that 20 years ago was believed to be biochemically inert is as yet still not fully understood. This chapter seeks to discuss the current mechanisms behind TauT dysregulation in diabetes and explore the mechanisms by which taurine supplementation has beneficial effects in diabetic complications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translational Drug Discovery Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK

    Trevor Askwith

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  1. Trevor Askwith
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Correspondence to Trevor Askwith .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    Irina Obrosova

  2. Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Brimingham, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Martin J. Stevens

  3. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA

    Mark A. Yorek

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Askwith, T. (2014). Taurine Treatment for Complications of Diabetes. In: Obrosova, I., Stevens, M., Yorek, M. (eds) Studies in Diabetes. Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8035-9_10

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