Protective effects of taurine against inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in brain injury

The protective effect of taurine against inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress in traumatic brain injury was investigated in the present study. Taurine is a non-proteogenic and essential amino acid in animals. It plays a critical nutritional role in brain cell growth, differentiation, and development. Taurine is involved in regeneration and neuroprotection in the injured nervous system, and is an effective antioxidant against lead-, cadmium-, and exercise-induced oxidative stress. Astrocytes and neuron cells were co-cultured and cells were treated with different concentrations of taurine (100, 200 and 300 mg/l) for 72 h, and the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, acetylcholinesterase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, caspase-3, p53, B-cell lymphoma 2 and Bcl-2-associated X protein were determined. These inflammatory, apoptotic, and oxidative stress markers were substantially increased in injured cells, and returned to normal levels following taurine supplementation. Thus, taurine supplementation may be effective against oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in injured brain cells.