Effects of taurine on plasma and liver lipids, erythrocyte ouabain sensitive Na efflux and platelet aggregation in Sprague Dawley rats

The effects of taurine on plasma and liver cholesterol, erythrocyte ouabain sensitive Na efflux and platelet aggregation were examined in Sprague Dawley rats fed control or 0.5% cholesterol with 0.2% cholate diet. Plasma and liver levels of total cholesterol were increased significantly (p<0.05) in rats fed cholesterol diet compared to the control, and taurine significantly decreased the elevated plasma level of cholesterol in rats fed cholesterol diet (p<0.05). HDL-cholesterol was decreased in groups fed the cholesterol diet regardless of taurine supplementation and the difference between groups with and without cholesterol was significant (p<0.01). Plasma triglyceride was decreased and liver triglyceride was increased both significantly (p<0.05) in rats fed cholesterol compared to the control. Plasma and liver triglyceride in rats fed taurine was decreased significantly compared to the control (p<0.05). Intracellular Na tended to be lower in rats fed cholesterol or taurine and higher in rats fed cholesterol plus taurine compared to the control. Na efflux through Na-K ATPase and the passive leak of Na was somewhat reduced in rats fed cholesterol or taurine and was augmented in rats fed cholesterol plus taurine compared to the control, which showed a similar trend to the intracellular Na. Taurine supplementation caused a suppression of Na efflux in groups fed control diet and restored the suppressed Na efflux in groups fed cholesterol. Platelet aggregation was significantly decreased in the group fed taurine compared to the control (p<0.05) and the group fed cholesterol plus taurine was also a little lower in aggregation than the group fed cholesterol. Microscopic examination showed that taurine prevented fatty liver in rats fed cholesterol diet. Taurine known for stimulating Na-K ATPase in some cell types rather decreased erythrocyte ouabain sensitive Na-K ATPase in the present study. Taurine had hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic effects and inhibited platelet aggregation which may be favorable for prevention of cardiovascular diseases.