Taurine reduces atherosclerotic lesion development in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

The effects of dietary taurine on development of atherosclerotic lesions were investigated using apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice. Taurine added to regular chow at 2% (w/w), was made freely available to mice for 3 months. Severe hypercholesterolemia and development of atherosclerotic lesions occurred in the apo-E-deficient mice. Taurine treatment decreased the area of Oil red-O positive lipid accumulation in the aortic valve by 31%. In contrast, taurine significantly increased serum atherogenic lipoproteins (LDL + VLDL), without changing HDL cholesterol levels. Although the levels of serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in apoE-deficient mice were significantly higher than in wild-type mice, taurine decreased TBARS by 26%. These observations mean that taurine prevents the development of atherosclerosis, independent of serum cholesterol levels. We suggest that antioxidative actions may be involved in the anti-atherosclerotic effects of taurine.