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Taurine

Taurine (from taurus = ox, as it was discovered in ox bile) or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid is an acidic chemical substance found in bile which acts as an emulsifier for ingested lipids and assists in their absorption. Taurine may also come from synthetic materials. more...

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Chemistry

Chemically, it is a colorless crystalline substance with the empirical formula C2H7NO3S, formed by the hydrolysis of taurocholic acid or decarboxylation of cysteine. Taurine is found in the urine, as well as juices and fluids of muscle, lungs and nerve tissue of many animals, and plays several important roles in the body and is essential to newborns of many species. While it is often referred to as an amino acid, this is an inaccurate categorization since it does not contain any carboxylic acid functional groups.

Physiology and Pharmacology

Taurine has three major roles in human metabolism:

  • It plays a role in digestion. It is conjugated with the bile acids chenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid to form (at the usually above 7 pH of bile) the bile salts, sodium taurochenodeoxycholate and sodium taurocholate (see bile).
  • It may assist in the formation of reactive oxygen species for the respiratory burst in neutrophil granulocytes
  • There is evidence that it is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.

It has been linked to a number of other metabolic functions but its role is not clear.

Uses

It has been tested medically in the treatment of congestive heart failure, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy and several other conditions with positive results. It is used by some as an neutralizer for monosodium glutamate . However, neither the harmfulness of monosodium glutamate nor the benefit of taurine has been proven.

Sources of dietary taurine include shellfish and organ meats such as liver.

Taurine, it is hoped, could eventually be used to reverse liver damage caused by alcoholism or a heavy nights drinking.Tests show that taurine can reverse, or even prevent, the build up of liver fat.

Taurine is one of the active ingredients commonly found in energy drinks such as Red Bull, and in pills which often feature caffeine and/or other stimulant ingredients. The manufacturers claim that taurine enhances the effects of caffeine, but to date there have been no studies performed to confirm this.

Taurine is essential for cats; cat food is supplemented with taurine, which is why other pet foods are not recommended for cats. In cats, taurine "helps maintain good eye health, regulate the heart beat, maintain cell membrane stability, and prevent brain cell over-activity" .

Taurine supplements may be important to counteract the effects of human aging on the natural taurine production process. As humans age, hepatic taurine production can fall or fail completely, producing low to no energy; cardiac, digestive, and mental problems; and premature death.

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Taurine's Role in Ocular Biochemistry*
From Optometric Management, 9/1/05 by Thimons, J James

Taurine is an amino acid involved in a host of biological and physiological functions and is a conditionally essential nutrient in humans. It's the most abundant amino acid in the ocular tissues of rats and rabbits. The scientific literature suggests that taurine has properties that may help protect and preserve comeal cells from hypertonic stress through osmoregulation, protein and membrane stabilization, antihistamine effects and by acting as an antioxidant.

An in vitro study by Shioda and coworkers* suggests that taurine increases cell viability under hypertonic stress. Human corneal epithelial cells exposed to hypertonic media with taurine supplementation for 2 days had greater viability than cells in hypertonic media without taurine supplementation.

Koyama and coworkers* found that taurine significantly reduced corneal irritation (as measured by the level of lactate dehydrogenase activity) in rabbit tears when instilled 30 minutes after a strong oxidizing agent.

Researchers at Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) tested two multi-purpose contact lens solutions that were identical in formulation except for taurine and a concomitant change in the level of phosphate buffer. Solution 1 did not contain taurine and Solution 2 contained 0.05% taurine. Patient comfort and visual acuity measures were similar in both groups, but discomfort symptoms of excessive tearing and itching were greater in the group using Solution 1.

Taurine seems to play a role in preserving the integrity and viability of cells exposed to a variety of environmental stressors. The role of taurine in the formulation of a multi-purpose contact lens solution deserves continued research.

* Adapted from an article published In the April 2004 issue of Contact Lens Spectrum. Full text and references available at: http://www.clspectnjm.com/article.aspx?artide=12552.

By J. James Thimons, O.D.

Copyright Boucher Communications, Inc. Sep 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

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