title: Influence of taurine on cardiac remodeling induced by tobacco smoke exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of taurine on cardiac remodeling induced by smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first step, rats were allocated into two groups: Group C (n = 14): control; Group T (n = 14): treated with taurine (3% in drinking water), for three months. In the second step, rats were allocated into two groups: Group ETS (n = 9): rats exposed to tobacco smoke; Group ETS-T (n = 9): rats exposed to tobacco smoke and treated with taurine for two months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After three months, taurine presented no effects on morphological or functional variables of normal rats assessed by echocardiogram. On the other hand, after two months, ETS-T group presented higher LV wall thickness (ETS = 1.30 (1.20-1.42); ETS-T = 1.50 (1.40-1.50); p = 0.029), E/A ratio (ETS = 1.13 ± 0.13; ETS-T = 1.37 ± 0.26; p = 0.028), and isovolumetric relaxation time normalized for heart rate (ETS = 53.9 ± 4.33; ETS-T = 72.5 ± 12.0; p < 0.001). The cardiac activity of the lactate dehydrogenase was higher in the ETS-T group (ETS = 204 ± 14 nmol/mg protein; ETS-T = 232 ± 12 nmol/mg protein; p < 0.001). ETS-T group presented lower levels of phospholamban (ETS = 1.00 ± 0.13; ETS-T = 0.82 ± 0.06; p = 0.026), phosphorylated phospholamban at Ser16 (ETS = 1.00 ± 0.14;ETS-T = 0.63 ± 0.10;p = 0.003), and phosphorylated phosfolamban/phospholamban ratio (ETS = 1.01 ± 0.17; ETS-T = 0.77 ± 0.11; p = 0.050).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In normal rats, taurine produces no effects on cardiac morphological or functional variables. On the other hand, in rats exposed to cigarette smoke, taurine supplementation increases wall thickness and worsens diastolic function, associated with alterations in calcium handling protein and cardiac energy metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Botucatu Medical School, Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denipote
authors.forename: Lidiane P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ardisson
authors.forename: Paula S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.forename: Marcos F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Minicucci
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lima-Leopoldo
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiuso-Minicucci
authors.forename: Bertha F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Polegato
authors.forename: Beatriz B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Luiz S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Ethel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Novelli
authors.forename: Sergio A R
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: Leonardo A M
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zornoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004452:Echocardiography; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D014026:Nicotiana; D000099211:Phospholamban
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D012906:Smoke; D013654:Taurine; D000099211:Phospholamban