title: Taurine Supplementation Lowers Blood Pressure and Improves Vascular Function in Prehypertension: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.
abstract: Taurine, the most abundant, semiessential, sulfur-containing amino acid, is well known to lower blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive animal models. However, no rigorous clinical trial has validated whether this beneficial effect of taurine occurs in human hypertension or prehypertension, a key stage in the development of hypertension. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we assessed the effects of taurine intervention on BP and vascular function in prehypertension. We randomly assigned 120 eligible prehypertensive individuals to receive either taurine supplementation (1.6 g per day) or a placebo for 12 weeks. Taurine supplementation significantly decreased the clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BPs, especially in those with high-normal BP. Mean clinic systolic BP reduction for taurine/placebo was 7.2/2.6 mm Hg, and diastolic BP was 4.7/1.3 mm Hg. Mean ambulatory systolic BP reduction for taurine/placebo was 3.8/0.3 mm Hg, and diastolic BP was 3.5/0.6 mm Hg. In addition, taurine supplementation significantly improved endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation and increased plasma H2S and taurine concentrations. Furthermore, changes in BP were negatively correlated with both the plasma H2S and taurine levels in taurine-treated prehypertensive individuals. To further elucidate the hypotensive mechanism, experimental studies were performed both in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that taurine treatment upregulated the expression of hydrogen sulfide-synthesizing enzymes and reduced agonist-induced vascular reactivity through the inhibition of transient receptor potential channel subtype 3-mediated calcium influx in human and mouse mesenteric arteries. In conclusion, the antihypertensive effect of chronic taurine supplementation shows promise in the treatment of prehypertension through improvement of vascular function.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Qianqian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yingsha
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Weijie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xunmei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiangru
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China. zhuzm@yahoo.com daoyanliu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Daoyan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, China. zhuzm@yahoo.com daoyanliu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058246:Prehypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013654:Taurine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013654:Taurine
keywords: blood pressure; hydrogen sulfide; prehypertension; taurine; transient receptor potential channels