Review of some actions of taurine on ion channels of cardiac muscle cells and others.
1. Taurine has recently been known to protect against ischemia and heart failure. Taurine possesses plenty of actions on the ion channels and transports, but is very non-specific. 2. Taurine may directly and indirectly help to regulate the [Ca]i level by modulating the activity of the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (also dependent on [Ca]i/[Ca]o), by regulation of Na+ channels, and secondly via Na-Ca exchange and Na(+)-taurine cotransport. 3. Taurine can prevent the Ca2+ ([Ca]o or [Ca]i)-induced cardiac functions. 4. Therefore, it seems possible that taurine could exert the potent cardioprotective actions even under the condition of low [Ca]i levels as well as under the Ca2+ overload condition. 5. The electrophysiological actions of taurine on cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and neurons from recent studies are summarized.
Satoh
H
H
Department of Pharmacology, Nara Medical University, Japan.
Sperelakis
N
N
D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051668:Delayed Rectifier Potassium Channels; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015220:Calcium Channels; D051668:Delayed Rectifier Potassium Channels; D007473:Ion Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D015222:Sodium Channels; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D013654:Taurine