Short-Communication: Short-Term Treatment with Taurine Prevents the Development of Cardiac Hypertrophy and Early Death in Hereditary Cardiomyopathy of the Hamster and Is Sex-Dependent.

Premature death due to heart failure is a major health problem. Taurine is a non-essential amino acid that has received much attention. However, although many studies have been carried out on the beneficial effects of taurine in cardiac pathophysiology, no studies have investigated the effect of taurine treatment on the development of hereditary cardiomyopathy (HCM) associated with hypertrophy, heart failure, and early death. This study aims to verify whether short-term treatment (20 days) with taurine in tap water prevents the development of hypertrophy and premature death in hereditary cardiomyopathy of the hamster (HCMH) of the line UM-X7.1 and if its effect is sex-dependent. Our results show that treatment for 20 days with taurine (250 mg/kg/day or 25 mg/animal/day) during the development of the hypertrophic phase (220 days old) significantly decreased (p < 0.01) the heart weight to body weight ratio in male HCMHs without affecting the female. During the 20 days (220−240 days old), there were nearly 40% premature deaths in non-treated males HCMHs and 50% in female HCMHs. Treatment for 20 days wholly and significantly prevented early death in both males and females HCMHs. Our results demonstrate that short-term treatment with taurine prevents the development of cardiac hypertrophy associated with HCM in a sex-dependent manner; however, it prevents early death in a sex-independent fashion. Our results suggest that taurine supplementation could be used to treat HCM.

Taurine and cardiac disease: state of the art and perspectives.

Taurine is a nonessential amino acid that has received much attention. Two organs, the heart and the brain, are known to produce their own taurine, but in very limited quantities. It is for this reason that supplementation with this amino acid is necessary. Today, taurine is present in almost all energy drinks. A very vast literature reported beneficial effects of taurine in hepatic dysfunction, gastrointestinal injury, kidney diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Most of its effects were attributed to its modulation of Ca2+ homeostasis as well as to its antioxidant properties. In this review, we will focus on the current status of taurine modulation of the cardiovascular system and discuss future avenues for its use as a supplement therapy in a specific cardiovascular disease, namely hypertrophy, and heart failure.