Effect of taurine on toxicity of oxidized cholesterol in rats

Abstract

This research was aimed to study the effect of dietary taurine on the toxicity of oxidized cholesterol in male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into eight groups and fed different diets with or without supplement of 5% taurine and 3% oxidized cholesterol for 8 weeks. To evaluate effects of taurine at the same time, before diets and after diets in the food, after feeding diet with 3% oxidized cholesterol and 5% taurine at the same time, taurine could improve the decrease of body weight and the glutathione (GSH) level in the liver, and the increase of relative ratio of liver or kidney weight to body weight and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) level in the liver of rats caused by oxidized cholesterol (P < 0.05). It also could inhibit the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the plasma of rats caused by oxidized cholesterol (P < 0.05). It was also found that taurine possessed a good recovering effect and a short-term preventing effect the toxicity of oxidized cholesterol in rats. Judging from these data, on taurine may play an important role in diminishing the toxic effect of oxidized cholesterol in rats.