Exogenous taurine attenuates mitochondrial oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress in rat cardiomyocytes

Yujie Yang, Yue Zhang, Xiaoyu Liu, Ji Zuo, Keqiang Wang, Wen Liu and Junbo Ge

Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 2013, 45: 359–367; doi: 10.1093/abbs/gmt034

Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China  

Taurine, a conditionally essential amino acid, plays a critical role in cardiovascular function. Here we examined the effect of taurine on mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in rat cardiomyocytes during glucose deprivation (GD). Data showed that cell viability, intracellular taurine contents, and taurine transporter expression were decreased during GD. In contrast, an increase in reactive oxygen species and intracellular Ca2+ contents was observed. GD also caused disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptotic cell death, and dissociation of unfolded protein response (UPR)-relative proteins in cardiomyocytes. Signal transduction analysis showed that Bcl-2 family protein balance was disturbed, caspase-12 was activated and UPR-relative protein levels were up-regulated. Moreover, pre-treatment with 80 mM exogenous taurine attenuated GD effect in cardiomyocytes. Our results suggest that taurine have beneficial effects on inhibiting mitochondria-dependent cell apoptosis and UPR-associated cell apoptosis and might have clinical implications on acute myocardial infarction in future.

图例: Taurine对心肌细胞内质网/肌质网信号通路的影响

全文: http://abbs.oxfordjournals.org/content/45/5/359.full