Taurine Supplementation Inhibits Cardiac and Systemic Renin-Angiotensin System Overactivity After Cardiac...

Perinatal taurine depletion and high sugar intake from weaning onward worsen cardiac damage and arterial pressure control after ischemia/reperfusion (IR) in adult male and female rats, which can be ameliorated by high taurine diets or inhibition of renin-angiotensin system. This study tests if taurine supplementation ameliorates cardiac damage and arterial pressure control in adult female rats via alterations of both cardiac and systemic renin-angiotensin system. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed normal rat chow and drank water alone (control, C) or water containing 3% beta-alanine (taurine depletion, TD) from conception to weaning, and female offspring were subjected to high sugar intake (normal rat chow and 5% glucose in water; CG and TDG) or the normal rat diet (CW and TDW). At 7 weeks of age, half of the rats in each group received 3% taurine in water (CW+T, CG+T, TDW+T, and TDG+T). One week later, rats were subjected to IR or Sham procedures followed by renal nerve recording, plasma and cardiac angiotensin II measurements. Cardiac angiotensin II levels significantly elevated in CG, TDW, and TDG. Further, plasma angiotensin II concentrations were significantly elevated only in the TDG, in consistent with a significant increase in renal nerve activity to juxtaglomerular cells, but not renal vessels and tubules. These abnormalities were ameliorated by short-term taurine supplementation. Thus, in adult female rats that are perinatally depleted of taurine followed by high sugar intake after weaning, taurine supplementation decreases the adverse effects of cardiac IR via inhibition of both cardiac and systemic renin-angiotensin system overactivity.