Effect of N-(D-Ribopyranosyl)taurine Sodium Salt Supplementation on the Hepatic Antioxidant System in Rat Models of Diet-Induced Obesity and Taurine Deficiency

摘要

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulphonic acid) is widely present in mammalian tissue and plays a role in many physiological processes, including development of the brain, osmoregulation, and cell membrane stabilization. It also has hypolipidemic effects, as well as anti-oxidant and hepatoprotective effects (Huxtable 1992). In particular, taurine supplementation inhibits hepatic lipid peroxidation and prevents membrane disintegration during hepatocarcinogenesis in rats (You and Chang 1997). Rats treated with P-alanine to induce taurine depletion were more susceptible to ethanol-induced hepatic dysfunction (Kerai et al. 2001).