title: Scavenging and antioxidant potential of physiological taurine concentrations against different reactive oxygen/nitrogen species.
abstract: While several studies have been conducted on the antioxidant properties of the beta-amino acid taurine, these studies all used concentrations lower than what is found physiologically. This study investigates the scavenging and antioxidant properties of physiological taurine concentrations against different reactive species. No reactivity between taurine and hydrogen peroxide was found; however, taurine exhibited significant scavenging potential against peroxyl radical, nitric oxide, and superoxide donors. This study also evaluated if taurine was able to minimize the in vitro CuZn-superoxide dismutase damage (SOD) induced by peroxynitrite. Taurine prevented both the formation of nitrotyrosine adducts and the decrease in SOD activity caused by peroxynitrite. In addition, taurine prevented the ex vivo damage caused by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in rat liver slices. These experimental data show that taurine, at different physiological concentrations efficiently scavenges many reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This finding supports the hypothesis that the antioxidant properties of taurine may be critical for the maintenance of cellular functions, and it suggests a more important function of taurine that requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Center of Oxidative Stress Research, Department of Biochemistry-Basic Health Sciences Institute (ICBS)/Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 2600 Ramiro Barcelos, Porto Alegre (RS) 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Max W S
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Juliane B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Minotto
authors.forename: Marcos R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Alfeu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanotto-Filho
authors.forename: Guilherme A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Behr
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: José C F
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Klamt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D002839:Chromans / Q000737:chemistry; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D016877:Oxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013481:Superoxides / Q000737:chemistry; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002839:Chromans; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D016877:Oxidants; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013481:Superoxides; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid; D009599:Nitroprusside; D013654:Taurine; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; C010643:6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid