Effect of Taurine on Cell Function via TXNIP Induction in Caco-2 Cells

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), a sulfur-containing β-amino acid, is a free amino acid present in high concentrations in mammalian tissues. Taurine has pivotal roles in anti-oxidation, membrane stabilization, osmoregulation, anti-inflammation, and other process. In a DNA microarray analysis, we previously found that taurine markedly increases the mRNA expression of thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) in Caco-2 cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of these taurine-induced changes in TXNIP on the function of Caco-2 cells. We found that taurine decreases glucose uptake in a dose-dependent manner. The taurine-induced decrease in glucose uptake was completely abolished by transfection with siRNA against TXNIP, suggesting that TXNIP is involved in the taurine-induced down-regulation of glucose uptake. We also revealed that taurine induces AMPK activation and further increases the intracellular ATP content in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that taurine could regulate the function of Caco-2 cells via TXNIP induction, leading to extend our understanding of the functions of taurine.