Oral administration of taurine improves experimental pancreatic fibrosis.
OBJECTIVE
The mechanism of pancreatic fibrosis is unclear. Taurine is used in the clinical treatment of a wide variety of diseases, but its effect on improving pancreatic fibrosis is unknown. We examined whether a diet with added taurine improves pancreatic fibrosis induced by dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) in an experimental chronic pancreatitis rat model. In addition, we examined the influence of taurine on pancreatic stellate cells.


METHODS
Pancreatic fibrosis was induced by DBTC. Rats were fed a taurine-containing diet or a normal diet and were killed at 4 weeks. Pancreatic stellate cells were isolated from male Wistar rats. Cultured pancreatic stellate cells were incubated with or without taurine chloramine. Type I collagen and transforming growth factor-beta1 secretion was evaluated by ELISA, and matrix metalloproteinase activity was assessed by gelatin zymography. Interleukin-6, interleukin-2, and transforming growth factor-beta1 levels in the supernatants of pancreatic tissue homogenates were measured.


RESULTS
Pancreatic fibrosis induced by DBTC was improved remarkably by the oral administration of the taurine-containing diet. Taurine chloramine decreased type I collagen, transforming growth factor-beta1, and matrix metalloproteinases 2 of the pancreatic stellate cell culture supernatant. Increased interleukin-6 and decreased interleukin-2 were found in the supernatants of the pancreatic tissue homogenates of DBTC-induced pancreatitis rats compared with other groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The oral administration of taurine improves pancreatic fibrosis. Taurine chloramine inhibits transforming growth factor-beta1 produced from activated pancreatic stellate cells and improves pancreatic fibrosis.
Shirahige
Akinori
A
Laboratory of Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama, Japan.
Mizushima
Takaaki
T
Matsushita
Koki
K
Sawa
Kiminari
K
Ochi
Koji
K
Ichimura
Mitsuko
M
Tanioka
Hiroaki
H
Shinji
Toshiyuki
T
Koide
Norio
N
Tanimoto
Mitsune
M
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004032:Diet; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005355:Fibrosis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D009947:Organotin Compounds; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013654:Taurine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D015854:Up-Regulation
D024042:Collagen Type I; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D009947:Organotin Compounds; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D013654:Taurine; C043410:N-chlorotaurine; C020735:dibutyldichlorotin