Abstract
Taurine plays an important role in the modulation of cardiovascular function by acting not only within the brain but also within peripheral tissues. We found that IV injection of taurine to male rats caused hypotension and tachycardia. A single injection of taurine significantly lowered the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure in freely moving Long–Evans control rats. We further confirm the vasoactive properties of taurine using isolated aortic ring preparations. Mechanical responses of circular aortic rings to pharmacological agents were measured by an isometric force transducer and amplifier. We found that bath application of taurine to the aortic rings caused vasodilation which was blocked by picrotoxin. Interestingly, picrotoxin alone induced a constriction of the aortic ring in the absence of exogenously added taurine, suggesting a tonic activation of GABAAreceptors by circulating either taurine or GABA. Additionally, we found that the endothelial cells express high levels of taurine transporters and GABAAreceptors. We have previously shown that taurine activates GABAAreceptors and thus we suggest that the functional implication of GABAAreceptor activation is the relaxation of the arterial muscularis, vasodilation, and a decrease in blood pressure. Interestingly however, the effects of acute taurine injection were very different than chronic supplementation of taurine. When rats were supplemented taurine (0.05%, 4 weeks) in their drinking water, taurine has significant hypertensive properties. The increase in blood pressure was observed however only in females; males supplemented with taurine did not show an increase in systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial pressure. In both genders however, taurine supplementation caused a significant tachycardia. Thus, we suggest that acute administration of taurine may be beneficial to lowering blood pressure. However, our data indicate that supplementation of taurine to females caused a significant increase in blood pressure. The effect of taurine supplementation on hypertensive rats remains to be seen.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- Epi:
-
Epinephrine
- GAD:
-
Glutamic acid decarboxylase
- GABA:
-
Îł-Aminobutyric acid
References
Abebe W, Mozaffari MS (2000) Effects of chronic taurine treatment on reactivity of the rat aorta. Aminosan 19:615–623
Abebe W, Mozaffari MS (2003) Taurine depletion alters vascular reactivity in rats. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 81:903–909
Boujendar S, Reusens B, Merezak S et al (2002) Taurine supplementation to a low protein diet during foetal and early postnatal life restores a normal proliferation and apoptosis of rat pancreatic islets. Diabetologia 45:856–866
Bowery GN (1993) GABAB receptor pharmacology. Annu Rev Pharmacol 33:109–147
Cherif H, Reusens B, Dahri S et al (1996) Stimulatory effects of taurine on insulin secretion by fetal rat islets cultured in vitro. J Endocrinol 151:501–506
Crambes A, Monassier L, Chapleau D, Roegel CJ, Feldman J, Bousquet P (1996) GABAergic and glutaminergic modulation of centrally evoked arrhythmias in rats. Hypertension 27:148–154
Curtis DR (1973) Bicuculline, GABA and central inhibition. Proc Aust Assoc Neurol 9:145–153
Dahri S, Snoeck A, Reusens-Billen B et al (1991) Islet function in offspring of mothers on low-protein diet during gestation. Diabetes 40(Suppl 2):115–120
del Olmo N, Bustamante J, del Rio RM, Soli J (2000) Taurine activates GABA(A) but not GABA(B) receptors in rat hippocampal CA1 area. Brain Res 864:298–307
Elliott CAK, Hobbiger F (1959) Gamma aminobutyric acid: circulatory and respiratory effects in different species: re-investigation of the anti-strychine action in mice. J Physiol 146:70–84
El Idrissi A, Trenkner E (2004a) Taurine as a modulator of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Neurochem Res 29:189–197
El Idrissi A, Messing J, Scalia J, Trenkner E (2003) Prevention of Epileptic Seizures through taurine. In: Lombardini JB, Schaffer SW, Azuma J (eds) Taurine 5 Beginning the 21st Century, Adv Exp Med Biol, Vol 526, Kluwer Press, NewYork, pp 515–525
El Idrissi A, Trenkner E (2004b) Taurine as a modulator of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Neurochem Res 29:189–197
El Idrissi A, Trenkner E (1999) Growth factors and taurine protect against excitotoxicity by stabilizing calcium homeostasis and energy metabolism. J Neurosci 19:9459–9468
Failli P, Fazzini A, Franconi F et al (1992) Taurine antagonizes the increases in intracellular calcium concentration induced by α-adrenergic stimulation in freshly isolated guinea-pig cardiomyocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol 24:1253–1265
Félétou M, Vanhoutte PM (2006) Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor where are we now? Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 26:1215–1225
Foos TM, Wu JY (2002) The role of taurine in the central nervous system and the modulation of intracellular calcium homeostasis. Neurochem Res 27:21–26
Franconi F, Giotti A, Manzini S, Martini F, Stendardi I, Zilletti L (1982) The effect of taurine on high potassium- and noradrenaline-induced contraction in rabbit ear artery. Br J Pharmacol 75:605–612
Fujita T, Sato Y (1984) The antihypertensive effect of taurine in DOCA-salt rats. J Hypertens Suppl 2:S563–S565
Fujimura S, Shimakawa H, Tanioka H, Yoshida M, Suzuki KM, Hisa Hand Satoh S (1999) Effect of GABA on noradrenaline release and vasoconstriction induced by renal nerve stimulation in isolated perfused rat kidney. Br J Pharmacol 127:109–114
Gelder VMN, Elliott CAK (1958) Disposition of γ-aminobutyric acid administered to mammals. J Neurochem 3:139–143
Harada H, Kitazaki K, Tsu**o T, Watari Y, Iwata S, Nonaka H, Hayashi T (2000) Oral taurine supplementation prevents the development of ethanol-induced hypertension in rats. Hypertens Res 23:277–284
Huxtable RJ (1989) Taurine in the central nervous system and the mammalian action actions of taurine. Prog Neurobiol 32:471–533
Huxtable RJ (1992a) The physiological actions of taurine. Physiol Rev 72:101–163
Huxtable RJ (1992b) Physiological actions of taurine. Physiol Rev 72:101–163
Inoue A, Takahashi H, Lee L-C et al (1988) Retardation of the development of hypertension in DOCA salt rats by tanrine supplement. Cardiovasc Res 22:351–358
Kwan YW, Ngan MP, Tsang KY, Lee HM, Chu LA (1996) Presynaptic modulation byl-glutamate and GABA of sympathetic co-transmission in rat isolated vas deferens. Br J Pharmacol 118:755–761
Li N, Sawamura M, Nara Y, Ikeda K, Yamori Y (1996) Direct inhibitory effects of taurine on norepinephrine-induced contraction in mesenteric artery of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. Adv Exp Med Biol 403:257–262
Lobo MV, Alonso FJ, Latorre A, del RĂo RM (2001) Immunohistochemical localization of taurine in the rat ovary, oviduct, and uterus. J Histochem Cytochem 49(9):1133–1142
Lombardini JB (1985) Effects of taurine on calcium ion uptake and protein phosphorylation in rat retinal membrane preparations. J Neurochem 45:268–275
Lourenco R, Camilo ME (2002) Taurine: a conditionally essential amino acid in humans? An overview in health and disease. Nutr Hosp 17:262–270
Manzini S, Maggi CA, Meli A (1985) Inhibitory effect of GABA on sympathetic neurotransmission in rabbit ear artery. Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther 273:100–109
Meldrum MJ, Tu R, Patterson T et al (1994) The effect of taurine on blood pressure, and urinary sodium, potassium and calcium excretion. In: Huxtable R, Michalk DV (eds) Taurine in health and disease. Plenum Press, New York, pp 207–215
Mellor JR, Gunthorpe MJ, Randall AD (2000) The taurine uptake inhibitor guanidinoethyl sulphonate is an agonist at gamma-aminobutyric acid (A) receptors in cultured murine cerebellar granule cells. Neurosci Lett 286:25–28
Merezak S, Hardikar AA, Yajnik CS et al (2001) Intrauterine low protein diet increases fetal beta-cell sensitivity to no and il-1 beta: The protective role of taurine. J Endocrinol 171:299–308
Militante JD, Lombardini JB (1998) Pharmacological characterization of the effects of taurine on calcium uptake in the rat retina. Amino Acids 15:99–108
Monasterolo AL, Trumper L, Elias MM (1996) Effects of γ-aminobutyric acid agonists on the isolated perfused rat kidney. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 279:602–607
Nakagawa M, Takeda K, Yoshitomi T et al (1994) Antihypertensive effect of taurine on salt-induced hypertension. In: Huxtable R, Michalk DV (eds) Taurine in health and disease. Plenum Press, New York, pp 197–206
Nara Y, Yamori Y, Lovenberg W (1978) Effect of dietary taurine on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Biochem Pharmacol 27:2689–2692
Persson B, Henning M (1980) Central cardiovascular and biochemical effects of baclofen in the conscious rat. J Pharm Pharmacol 32:417–422
Quinn MR, Harris CL (1995) Tautine allosterically inhibits binding of [35S]-tbutylbicyclophosphorothionate (TBPS) to rat brain synaptic membranes. Neuropharmacol 34:1607–1613
Ristori MT, Verdetti J (1991) Effects of taurine on rat aorta in vitro. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 5:245–258
Roberts E, Lowe IP, Guth L, Jelinek B (1958) Distribution of γ-aminobutyric acid and other amino acids in nervous tissue of various species. J Exp Zool 138(2):313–328
Saransaari P, Oja SS (2000) Taurine and neural cell damage. Amino Acids 19:509–526
Schaffer S, Takahashi K, Azuma J (2000) Role of osmoregulation in the actions of taurine. Amino Acids 19:527–546
Solis JM, Herranz AS, Herreras O et al (1988) Does taurine act as an osmoregulatory substance in the rat brain? Neurosci Lett 91:53–58
Sturman JA (1993) Taurine in development. Physiol Rev 73:119–147
Takahashi H, Tiba M, Iino M, Takayasu T (1955) The effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid on blood pressure. Jpn J Physiol 5(4):334–341
Tsukada Y, Hirano S, Nagata Y, Mastutani T (1960) Metabolic studies of gamma-aminobutyric acid in mammalian tissues. In: Roberts E (ed) Inhibition in the nervous system and gamma-aminobutyric acid. Pergamon, New York, NY, p 163
Wu JY, Tang XW, Schloss JV, Faiman MD (1998) Regulation of taurine biosynthesis and its physiological significance in the brain. Adv Exp Med Biol 442:339–345
Wang DS, Xu TL, Pang ZP, Li JS, Akaike N (1998) Taurine-activated chloride currents in the rat sacral dorsal commissural neurons. Brain Res 792:41–47
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by a fellowship to E.O. from CUNY Summer Undergraduate Research Program (C-SURP) and CSI.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this paper
Cite this paper
Idrissi, A.E., Okeke, E., Yan, X., Sidime, F., Neuwirth, L.S. (2013). Taurine Regulation of Blood Pressure and Vasoactivity. In: El Idrissi, A., L'Amoreaux, W. (eds) Taurine 8. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 775. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6130-2_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6130-2_31
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6129-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6130-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)