Improvement of diabetes-induced spinal cord axon injury with taurine via nerve growth factor-dependent Akt/mTOR pathway.

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a common neurological complication caused by diabetes mellitus (DM). Axonal degeneration is generally accepted to be the major pathological change in peripheral DN. Taurine has been evidenced to be neuroprotective in various aspects, but its effect on spinal cord axon injury (SCAI) in DN remains barely reported. This study showed that taurine significantly ameliorated axonal damage of spinal cord (SC), based on morphological and functional analyses, in a rat model of DN induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Taurine was also found to induce neurite outgrowth in cultured cerebral cortex neurons with high glucose exposure. Moreover, taurine up-regulated the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurite outgrowth relative protein GAP-43 in rat DN model and cultured cortical neurons/VSC4.1 cells. Besides, taurine increased the activating phosphorylation signals of TrkA, Akt, and mTOR. Mechanistically, the neuroprotection by taurine was related to the NGF-pAKT-mTOR axis, because either NGF-neutralizing antibody or Akt or mTOR inhibitors was found to attenuate its beneficial effects. Together, our results demonstrated that taurine promotes spinal cord axon repair in a model of SCAI in STZ-induced diabetic rats, mechanistically associating with the NGF-dependent activation of Akt/mTOR pathway.

Deletion of hepatocyte cysteine dioxygenase type 1, a bile acid repressed gene, enhances glutathione synthesis and ameliorates acetaminophen hepatotoxicity.

Liver is a major organ that metabolizes sulfur amino acids cysteine, which is the substrate for the synthesis of many essential cellular molecules including GSH, taurine, and coenzyme A. Bile acid-activated farnesoid x receptor (FXR) inhibits cysteine dioxygenase type 1 (CDO1), which mediates hepatic cysteine catabolism and taurine synthesis. To define the impact of bile acid inhibition of CDO1 on hepatic sulfur amino acid metabolism and antioxidant capacity, we developed hepatocyte-specific CDO1 knockout mice (Hep-CDO1 KO) and hepatocyte specific CDO1 transgenic mice (Hep-CDO1 Tg). Liver metabolomics revealed that genetic deletion of hepatic CDO1 reduced de novo taurine synthesis but had no impact on hepatic taurine abundance or bile acid conjugation. Consistent with reduced cysteine catabolism, Hep-CDO1 KO mice showed increased hepatic cysteine abundance but unaltered methionine cycle intermediates and coenzyme A synthesis. Upon acetaminophen overdose, Hep-CDO1 KO mice showed increased GSH synthesis capacity and alleviated liver injury. In contrast, hepatic CDO1 overexpression in Hep-CDO1 Tg mice stimulated hepatic cysteine to taurine conversion, resulting in reduced hepatic cysteine abundance. However, Hep-CDO1 Tg mice and WT showed similar susceptibility to acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Hep-CDO1 Tg mice showed similar hepatic taurine and coenzyme A compared to WT mice. In summary, these findings suggest that bile acid and FXR signaling inhibition of CDO1-mediated hepatic cysteine catabolism preferentially modulates hepatic GSH synthesis capacity and antioxidant defense, but has minimal effect on hepatic taurine and coenzyme A abundance. Repression of hepatic CDO1 may contribute to the hepatoprotective effects of FXR activation under certain pathologic conditions.

Taurine reduces microglia activation in the brain of aged senescence-accelerated mice by increasing the level of TREM2.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a chronic neurodegenerative disorder, is the leading cause of dementia. Over-activated microglia is related to amyloid-beta (Aß) and phosphorylated tau (phospho-tau) accumulation in the AD brain. Taurine is an amino acid with multiple physiological functions including anti-inflammatory effects, and has been reported to be neuroprotective in AD. However, the role of taurine in microglia-mediated AD remains unclear. Here, we examined the effects of taurine on the brains of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice by comparing those administered 1% taurine water with those administered distilled water (DW). We observed increased levels of taurine and taurine transporter (TAUT) in the brains of the taurine-treated mice compared with those of control mice. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses revealed that taurine significantly reduced the number of activated microglia, levels of phospho-tau and Aß deposit in the hippocampus and cortex. Triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) are known to protect against AD pathogenesis. Taurine upregulated TREM2 expression in the hippocampus and cortex. In conclusion, the present study suggests that taurine treatment may upregulate TREM2 to protect against microglia over-activation by decreasing the accumulation of phospho-tau and Aß; providing an insight into a novel preventive strategy in AD.

Huayu Qutan Recipe promotes lipophagy and cholesterol efflux through the mTORC1/TFEB/ABCA1-SCARB1 signal axis.

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of the anti-atherosclerosis effect of Huayu Qutan Recipe (HYQT) on the inhibition of foam cell formation. In vivo, the mice were randomly divided into three groups: CTRL group, MOD group and HYQT group. The HYQT group received HYQT oral administration twice a day (20.54 g/kg/d), and the plaque formation in ApoE-/- mice was observed using haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and oil red O (ORO) staining. The co-localization of aortic macrophages and lipid droplets (LDs) was examined using fluorescent labelling of CD11b and BODIPY fluorescence probe. In vitro, RAW 264.7 cells were exposed to 50 µg/mL ox-LDL for 48 h and then treated with HYQT for 24 h. The accumulation of LDs was evaluated using ORO and BODIPY. Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. The co-localization of LC3b and BODIPY was detected via immunofluorescence and fluorescence probe. LysoTracker Red and BODIPY 493/503 were used as markers for lysosomes and LDs, respectively. Autophagosome formation were observed via transmission electron microscopy. The levels of LC3A/B II/LC3A/B I, p-mTOR/mTOR, p-4EBP1/4EBP1, p-P70S6K/P70S6K and TFEB protein level were examined via western blotting, while SQSTM1/p62, Beclin1, ABCA1, ABCG1 and SCARB1 were examined via qRT-PCR and western blotting. The nuclear translocation of TFEB was detected using immunofluorescence. The components of HYQT medicated serum were determined using Q-Orbitrap high-resolution MS analysis. Molecular docking was employed to identify the components of HYQT medicated serum responsible for the mTOR signalling pathway. The mechanism of taurine was illustrated. HYQT has a remarkable effect on atherosclerotic plaque formation and blood lipid level in ApoE-/- mice. HYQT decreased the co-localization of CD11b and BODIPY. HYQT (10% medicated serum) reduced the LDs accumulation in RAW 264.7 cells. HYQT and RAPA (rapamycin, a mTOR inhibitor) could promote cholesterol efflux, while chloroquine (CQ, an autophagy inhibitor) weakened the effect of HYQT. Moreover, MHY1485 (a mTOR agonist) also mitigated the effects of HYQT by reduced cholesterol efflux. qRT-PCR and WB results suggested that HYQT improved the expression of the proteins ABCA1, ABCG1 and SCARB1.HYQT regulates ABCA1 and SCARB1 protein depending on the mTORC1/TFEB signalling pathway. However, the activation of ABCG1 does not depend on this pathway. Q-Orbitrap high-resolution MS analysis results demonstrated that seven core compounds have good binding ability to the mTOR protein. Taurine may play an important role in the mechanism regulation. HYQT may reduce cardiovascular risk by promoting cholesterol efflux and degrading macrophage-derived foam cell formation. It has been observed that HYQT and ox-LDL regulate lipophagy through the mTOR/TFEB signalling pathway, rather than the mTOR/4EBP1/P70S6K pathway. Additionally, HYQT is found to regulate cholesterol efflux through the mTORC1/TFEB/ABCA1-SCARB1 signal axis, while taurine plays a significant role in lipophagy.

Taurine deficiency associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and aging.

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a free amino acid found ubiquitously and abundantly in mammalian tissues. Taurine content in the heart is approximately 20 mM, which is approximately 100 times higher than plasma concentration. The high intracellular concentration of taurine is maintained by the taurine transporter (TauT; Slc6a6). Taurine plays various roles, including the regulation of intracellular ion dynamics, calcium handling, and acting as an antioxidant in the heart. Some species, such as cats and foxes, have low taurine biosynthetic capacity, and dietary taurine deficiency can lead to disorders such as dilated cardiomyopathy and blindness. In humans, the relationship between dietary taurine deficiency and cardiomyopathy is not yet clear, but a genetic mutation related to the taurine transporter has been reported to be associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. On the other hand, many studies have shown an association between dietary taurine intake and age-related diseases. Notably, it has recently been reported that taurine declines with age and is associated with lifespan in worms and mice, as well as healthspan in mice and monkeys. In this review, we summarize the role of dietary and genetic taurine deficiency in the development of cardiomyopathy and aging.

Involvement of GAT2/Slc6a13 in hypotaurine uptake at fetal-facing plasma membrane of syncytiotrophoblasts at mid-to-late gestation in rats and mice.

INTRODUCTION: Hypotaurine, a precursor to taurine, is known for its antioxidant properties and is prominently present in fetal plasma and the placenta. Our previous research revealed that ezrin-knockout mice experience fetal growth retardation, coinciding with reduced hypotaurine levels in fetal plasma. This study aims to elucidate the expression and role of hypotaurine transporters within the placenta. METHODS: We employed quantitative RT-PCR to measure mRNA expression of GAT transporter family members in the placenta during mid-to-late gestation. LC/MS/MS was used to analyze the distribution of hypotaurine in different placental subregions. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to examine the localization of GAT2 in mice. Placental hypotaurine uptake from fetal circulation was studied via umbilical perfusion in rats. RESULTS: Among hypotaurine transporters, GAT2 exhibited increased mRNA and protein expression in murine placenta during mid-to-late gestation. Notably, GAT2/Slc6a13 mRNA and hypotaurine were most concentrated in the labyrinth of murine placenta. In contrast, enzymes responsible for hypotaurine synthesis, such as cysteine dioxygenase, cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase, and 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase, showed minimal expression in the labyrinth. These findings suggest that GAT2 is a key determinant of hypotaurine levels in the placental labyrinth. Immunohistochemical examination unveiled that GAT2 was predominantly localized on the fetal-facing plasma membrane within syncytiotrophoblasts, which co-localized with ezrin. In rat umbilical perfusion experiments, the GAT2/3 and TauT inhibitor, SNAP-5114, significantly reduced hypotaurine extraction from fetal circulation to the placenta. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that GAT2 plays a pivotal role in the concentrative uptake of hypotaurine from fetal plasma within syncytiotrophoblasts of the placenta.

Integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics to elucidate the mechanism by which taurine protects against DOX-induced depression.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective anticancer drug with potent antitumour activity. However, the application of DOX is limited by its adverse reactions, such as depression. Taurine can alleviate depression induced by multiple factors. However, it is still unclear whether and how taurine improves DOX-induced depression. To address this question, the aim of this study was to explore the potential mechanism by which taurine protects against DOX-induced depression. Mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8): (1) the control group, (2) the DOX group, and (3) the DOX + taurine group. The open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze test, and forced swim test (FST) were first performed to assess the effects of DOX and taurine on the behaviour of mice. Next, a combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis was performed to analyse the possible antidepressive effect of taurine. Taurine pretreatment increased the total distance travelled and speed of mice in the OFT, increased the number of entries into the open arm and the time spent in the open arm, and reduced the immobility time in the FST. In addition, 179 differential genes and 51 differentially abundant metabolites were detected in the DOX + taurine group compared to the DOX group. Furthermore, differential genes and differentially abundant metabolites were found to be jointly involved in 21 pathways, which may be closely related to the antidepressant effect of taurine. Taurine alleviated DOX-induced depressive behaviour. The various pathways identified in this study, such as the serotonergic synapse and the inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels, may be key regulatory pathways related to depression and antidepressant effects.

Use of novel taurine-chitosan mediated liposomes for enhancing the oral absorption of doxorubicin via the TAUT transporter.

Our research aimed to enhance the oral bioavailability of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX·HCl) while minimizing the potential for myocardial toxicity. To achieve this goal, we developed a new method that utilizes a coating material to encapsulate the drug in liposomes, which can specifically target intestinal taurine transporter proteins. This coating material, TAU-CS, was created by combining taurine with chitosan. We characterized TAU-CS using various methods, including 1H NMR, FT-IR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resulting liposomes exhibited a regular spherical morphology, with a particle size of 195.7 nm, an encapsulation efficiency of 91.23 %, and a zeta potential of +11.65 mV. Under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, TAU-CS/LIP@DOX·HCl exhibited good stability and slow release. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that, compared with DOX·HCl, TAU-CS/LIP@DOX·HCl had a relative bioavailability of 342 %. Intracellular uptake, immunofluorescence imaging, and permeation assays confirmed that the taurine transporter protein mediates the intestinal uptake of these liposomes. Our study suggested that liposomes coated with TAU-CS could serve as an effective oral delivery system and that targeting the taurine transporter protein shows promise in enhancing drug absorption.

Association Between Taurine Level in the Hippocampus and Major Depressive Disorder in Young Women: A Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study at 7T.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure. Generally, women are twice as likely as men to have depression. Taurine, a type of amino acid, plays critical roles in neuronal generation, differentiation, arborization, and formation of synaptic connections. Importantly, it enhances proliferation and synaptogenesis in the hippocampus. When injected into animals, taurine has an antidepressant effect. However, there is no in vivo evidence to show an association between taurine concentration in the human brain and the development of MDD. METHODS: Forty-one unmedicated young women with MDD (ages 18-29) and 43 healthy control participants matched for gender and age were recruited in South Korea. Taurine concentration was measured in the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, and occipital cortex of the MDD and healthy control groups using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7T. Analysis of covariance was used to examine differences in taurine concentration, adjusting for age as a covariate. RESULTS: Taurine concentration in the hippocampus was lower (F1,75 = 5.729, p = .019, Δη2 = 0.073) for the MDD group (mean [SEM] = 0.91 [0.06] mM) than for the healthy control group (1.13 [0.06] mM). There was no significant difference in taurine concentration in the anterior cingulate cortex or occipital cortex between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that a lower level of taurine concentration in the hippocampus may be a novel characteristic of MDD.

Exogenous taurine administration abates reproductive dysfunction in male rats exposed to silver nanoparticles.

The broad contemporary applications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been associated with various toxicities including reproductive toxicity. Taurine is well acknowledged for its potent pharmacological role in numerous disease models and chemically-mediated toxicity. We investigated the effect of taurine on AgNPs-induced reproductive toxicity in male rats. The animals were intraperitoneally injected with AgNPs (200 µg/kg) alone or co-administered with taurine at 50 and 100 mg/kg for 21 successive days. Exogenous taurine administration significantly abated AgNPs-induced oxidative injury by decreasing the levels of oxidative stress indices while boosting antioxidant enzymes activities and glutathione level in the hypothalamus, testes and epididymis of exposed animals. Taurine administration alleviated AgNPs-induced inflammatory response and caspase-3 activity, an apoptotic biomarker. Moreover, taurine significantly improved spermiogram, reproductive hormones and the marker enzymes of testicular function in AgNPs-treated animals. The ameliorative effect of taurine on pathological lesions induced by AgNPs in the exposed animals was substantiated by histopathological data. This study provides the first mechanistic evidence that taurine supplementation affords therapeutic effect against reproductive dysfunction associated with AgNPs exposure in male rats.

Identification of a novel enzyme and the regulation of key enzymes in mammalian taurine synthesis.

Taurine has many pharmacological roles on various tissues. The maintenance of abundant taurine content in the mammalian body through endogenous synthesis, in addition to exogenous intake, is the essential factor for morphological and functional maintenances in most tissues. The synthesis of taurine from sulfur-containing amino acids is influenced by various factors. Previous literature findings indicate the influence of the intake of proteins and sulfur-containing amino acids on the activity of the rate-limiting enzymes cysteine dioxygenase and cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase. In addition, the regulation of the activity and expression of taurine-synthesis enzymes by hormones, bile acids, and inflammatory cytokines through nuclear receptors have been reported in liver and reproductive tissues. Furthermore, flavin-containing monooxygenase subtype 1 was recently identified as the taurine-synthesis enzyme that converts hypotaurine to taurine. This review introduces the novel taurine synthesis enzyme and the nuclear receptor-associated regulation of key enzymes in taurine synthesis.

Taurine promotes insulin synthesis by enhancing Isl-1 expression through miR-7a/RAF1/ERK1/2 pathway.

It has been well established that the circulating taurine affects the insulin synthesis in pancreatic islet ß-cells, whereas miR-7a and LIM-homeodomain transcription factor Isl-1 are important intracellular factors regulating insulin transcription and synthesis. However, it still remains unknown whether taurine regulates insulin synthesis by affecting miR-7a and/or Isl-1 expressions in mouse pancreatic islet ß-cells. The present study was thus proposed to identify the effects of taurine on the expressions of miR-7a and/or Isl-1 and their relations to insulin synthesis in mouse pancreatic islet ß-cells by using miR-7a2 knockout (KO) and taurine transporter (TauT) KO mouse models and the related in vitro experiments. The results demonstrated that taurine supplement significantly decreased the pancreas miR-7a expression, but sharply upregulated the pancreas Isl-1 and insulin expressions, and serum insulin levels. However, the enhanced effects of taurine on Isl-1 expression and insulin synthesis were mitigated in the TauT KO and miR-7a2 KO mice. In addition, our results confirmed that taurine markedly increased pancreas RAF1 and ERK1/2 expressions. Collectively, the present study firstly demonstrates that taurine regulates insulin synthesis through TauT/miR-7a/RAF1/ERK1/2/Isl-1 signaling pathway, which are crucial for our understanding the mechanisms of taurine affecting insulin synthesis, and also potential for establishing the therapeutic strategies for diabetes and the diseases related to metabolism.

Gut microbiota aggravates neutrophil extracellular traps-induced pancreatic injury in hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis.

Hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (HTGP) is featured by higher incidence of complications and poor clinical outcomes. Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with pancreatic injury in HTGP and the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we observe lower diversity of gut microbiota and absence of beneficial bacteria in HTGP patients. In a fecal microbiota transplantation mouse model, the colonization of gut microbiota from HTGP patients recruits neutrophils and increases neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation that exacerbates pancreatic injury and systemic inflammation. We find that decreased abundance of Bacteroides uniformis in gut microbiota impairs taurine production and increases IL-17 release in colon that triggers NETs formation. Moreover, Bacteroides uniformis or taurine inhibits the activation of NF-κB and IL-17 signaling pathways in neutrophils which harness NETs and alleviate pancreatic injury. Our findings establish roles of endogenous Bacteroides uniformis-derived metabolic and inflammatory products on suppressing NETs release, which provides potential insights of ameliorating HTGP through gut microbiota modulation.

The renoprotective effects of taurine against diabetic nephropathy via the p38 MAPK and TGF-ß/Smad2/3 signaling pathways.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a severe diabetes complication, causes kidney morphological and structural changes due to extracellular matrix accumulation. This accumulation is caused mainly by oxidative stress. Semi-essential amino acid derivative taurine has powerful antioxidant and antifibrotic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the renoprotective effects of taurine through its possible roles in oxidative stress, extracellular matrix proteins, and the signaling pathways associated with the accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in DN rats. 29 Wistar albino rats were randomly separated into control, taurine, diabetes, and diabetes + taurine groups. Diabetes animals were injected 45 mg/kg streptozosine. Taurine is given by adding to drinking water as 1% (w/v). Urine, serum, and kidney tissue were collected from rats for biochemical and histological analysis after 12 weeks. According to the studies, taurine significantly reduces the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), and protein expression of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) that increase in diabetic kidney tissue. Also, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity levels significantly increased with taurine in diabetic rats. Moreover, increased mRNA and protein levels of fibronectin decreased with taurine. The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activities and their mRNA levels increased significantly, and this increase was significantly summed with taurine. There was a decrease in mRNA expression of Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN). Taurine significantly increased this decrease. Diabetes increased mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß and Smad2/3. Taurine significantly reduced this induction. TGF-ß protein expression, p38, and Smad2/3 activations were also inhibited, but taurine was suppressed significantly. All these findings indicate that taurine may be an effective practical strategy to prevent renal diabetic injury.

Dietary Taurine Supplementation Improves the Meat Quality, Muscle Fiber Type, and Mitochondrial Function of Finishing Pigs.

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with taurine (TAU) on the meat quality, muscle fiber type, and mitochondrial function of finishing pigs. The results demonstrated that TAU significantly increased the a* value while decreasing b*45 min, L*24 h, and drip loss24 h and drip loss48 h in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. Dietary supplemented with TAU reduced the content of lactate and the glycolytic potential (GP) in the LD muscle. Dietary supplemented with TAU enhanced the oxidative fiber-related gene expression as well as increased succinic dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase activities while reducing lactate dehydrogenase activity. Furthermore, dietary supplementation with TAU increased the contents of mtDNA and ATP and mitochondrial function-related gene expression. Moreover, TAU enhanced the mRNA expressions of calcineurin (CaN) and nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) and protein expressions of CNA and NFATc1. The results indicate that dietary TAU supplementation improves meat quality and mitochondrial biogenesis and function and promotes muscle fiber-type conversion from the glycolytic fiber to the oxidative fiber via the CaN/NFATc1 pathway.

Functional Role of Taurine in Aging and Cardiovascular Health: An Updated Overview.

Taurine, a naturally occurring sulfur-containing amino acid, has attracted significant attention in recent years due to its potential health benefits. Found in various foods and often used in energy drinks and supplements, taurine has been studied extensively to understand its impact on human physiology. Determining its exact functional roles represents a complex and multifaceted topic. We provide an overview of the scientific literature and present an analysis of the effects of taurine on various aspects of human health, focusing on aging and cardiovascular pathophysiology, but also including athletic performance, metabolic regulation, and neurological function. Additionally, our report summarizes the current recommendations for taurine intake and addresses potential safety concerns. Evidence from both human and animal studies indicates that taurine may have beneficial cardiovascular effects, including blood pressure regulation, improved cardiac fitness, and enhanced vascular health. Its mechanisms of action and antioxidant properties make it also an intriguing candidate for potential anti-aging strategies.

The interaction of ammonia and manganese in abnormal metabolism of minimal hepatic encephalopathy: A comparison metabolomics study.

This study was to investigate the effects of ammonia and manganese in the metabolism of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). A total of 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four subgroups: chronic hyperammonemia (CHA), chronic hypermanganese (CHM), MHE and control group (CON). 1H-NMR-based metabolomics was used to detect the metabolic changes. Sparse projection to latent structures discriminant analysis was used for identifying and comparing the key metabolites. Significant elevated blood ammonia were shown in the CHA, CHM, and MHE rats. Significant elevated brain manganese (Mn) were shown in the CHM, and MHE rats, but not in the CHA rats. The concentrations of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), lactate, alanine, glutamate, glutamine, threonine, and phosphocholine were significantly increased, and that of myo-inositol, taurine, leucine, isoleucine, arginine, and citrulline were significantly decreased in the MHE rats. Of all these 13 key metabolites, 10 of them were affected by ammonia (including lactate, alanine, glutamate, glutamine, myo-inositol, taurine, leucine, isoleucine, arginine, and citrulline) and 5 of them were affected by manganese (including GABA, lactate, myo-inositol, taurine, and leucine). Enrichment analysis indicated that abnormal metabolism of glutamine and TCA circle in MHE might be affected by the ammonia, and abnormal metabolism of GABA might be affected by the Mn, and abnormal metabolism of glycolysis and branched chain amino acids metabolism might be affected by both ammonia and Mn. Both ammonia and Mn play roles in the abnormal metabolism of MHE. Chronic hypermanganese could lead to elevated blood ammonia. However, chronic hyperammonemia could not lead to brain Mn deposition.

Mice, Rats and Guinea Pigs Exhibit Significant Variations in the Plasma, Urine and Tissue Levels of Taurine, Betaine, Sarcosine and Other Osmolyte-Active Amino Acids.

BACKGROUND: Osmolytes are naturally occurring compounds that protect cells from osmotic stress in high-osmolarity tissues, such as the kidney medulla. Some amino acids, including taurine, betaine, glycine, alanine, and sarcosine, are known to act as osmolytes. This study aimed to establish the levels of these amino acids in body fluids and tissues of laboratory animals used as models for human diseases in biomedical research. METHODS: Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry was used to quantify taurine, glycine, betaine, alanine, beta-alanine, and sarcosine in plasma, urine, and tissues of adult, male mice, rats and guinea pigs. RESULTS: Among the species analyzed, taurine was found to have the highest tissue concentrations across all compounds, with the heart containing the greatest amount. In guinea pigs, betaine levels were higher in the renal medulla than in the renal cortex (p < 0.01), while in rats and mice, there were no significant differences in betaine levels between the kidney cortex and medulla. The urine of guinea pigs had lower levels of sarcosine compared to rats (p < 0.001), while the plasma (p < 0.05; > 0.05), heart (p < 0.05; < 0.05), lungs (p < 0.01; < 0.01), liver (p < 0.001; < 0.05), and kidneys (p < 0.01; < 0.01) of rats exhibited notably higher concentrations of sarcosine compared to both mice and guinea pigs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There are pronounced differences in the concentrations of taurine, betaine, and other amino acids across the investigated species. It is important to acknowledge these differences when selecting animal models for preclinical studies and to account for variations in amino acid concentrations when selecting amino acids doses for interventional studies.

Assessment of compensated advanced chronic liver disease based on serum bile acids in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Patients with chronic liver disease progressed to compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD), the risk of liver-related decompensation increased significantly. This study aimed to develop prediction model based on individual bile acid (BA) profiles to identify cACLD. This study prospectively recruited 159 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and 60 healthy volunteers undergoing liver stiffness measurement (LSM). With the value of LSM, patients were categorized as three groups: F1 [LSM ≤ 7.0 kilopascals (kPa)], F2 (7.1 < LSM ≤ 8.0 kPa), and cACLD group (LSM ≥ 8.1 kPa). Random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) were applied to develop two classification models to distinguish patients with different degrees of fibrosis. The content of individual BA in the serum increased significantly with the degree of fibrosis, especially glycine-conjugated BA and taurine-conjugated BA. The Marco-Precise, Marco-Recall, and Marco-F1 score of the optimized RF model were all 0.82. For the optimized SVM model, corresponding score were 0.86, 0.84, and 0.85, respectively. RF and SVM models were applied to identify individual BA features that successfully distinguish patients with cACLD caused by HBV. This study provides a new tool for identifying cACLD that can enable clinicians to better manage patients with chronic liver disease.

Identification and expression analysis of transcripts involved in taurine biosynthesis during early ontogeny of tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus.

In fishes, the availability of taurine is regulated during ontogenetic development, where its endogenous synthesis capacity is species dependent. Thus, different pathways and involved enzymes have been described: pathway I (cysteine sulfinate-dependent pathway), cysteine dioxygenase type 1 (cdo1) and cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase (csad); pathway II (cysteic acid pathway), cdo1 and glutamic acid decarboxylase (gad); and pathway III (cysteamine pathway), 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ado); whereas taurine transporter (taut) is responsible for taurine entry into cells on the cell membrane and the mitochondria. This study determined if the tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus), an ancient holostean fish model, has the molecular mechanism to synthesize taurine through the identification and analysis expression of transcripts coding for proteins involved in its biosynthesis and transportation, at different embryo-larvae stages and in different organs of juveniles (31 dah). We observed a fluctuating expression of all transcripts involved in the three pathways at all analyzed stages. All transcripts are expressed during the beginning of larval development; however, ado and taut show a peak expression at 9 dah, and all transcripts but csad decreased at 23 dah, when the organism ended the larval period. Furthermore, at 31 dah, we observed taut expression in all examined organs. The transcripts involved in pathways I and III are expressed differently across all organs, whereas pathway II was only observed in the brain, eye, and skin. The results suggested that taurine biosynthesis in tropical gar is regulated during its early development before first feeding, and the pathway might also be organ-type dependent.