Dietary taurine supplementation reduces plasma and liver cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rats fed a high-cholesterol or a cholesterol-free diet.
The effects of dietary taurine supplementation on plasma and hepatic lipid levels and phospholipid profiles were evaluated in rats fed a high-cholesterol or a cholesterol-free diet. Four groups of male rats were fed one of the following diets for 5 weeks: cholesterol-free diet (CFD); high cholesterol diet (HCD); high cholesterol, high taurine diet (HCHTD); or high taurine diet (HTD). Rats fed a HCHTD had significantly lower plasma levels of total cholesterol (32% reduction), LDL-cholesterol (37% reduction) and triglyceride (43% reduction) than rats fed a HCD alone. Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride were also significantly reduced in rats fed a HTD compared to rats fed a CFD. Taurine supplementation to the HCD significantly reduced hepatic cholesterol (50% decrease) and triglyceride (30% decrease) levels in rats. Taurine supplementation to the CFD also significantly reduced the hepatic triglyceride concentration (43% decrease) and elevated hepatic free fatty acid levels (77% increase) compared to rats fed only a CFD. These results suggest that dietary taurine supplementation is both hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic in rats whose body cholesterol status is high or normal.
Park
T
T
Department of Food and Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
K
K
D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D014280:Triglycerides; D013654:Taurine; D002784:Cholesterol