Taurine Supplementation Ameliorates the Adverse Effects of Perinatal Taurine Depletion and High Sugar Intake on Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury of Adult Female Rats

Perinatal taurine depletion followed by high sugar intake after weaning adversely affects myocardial and arterial pressure function following a myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (IR) insult in adult female rats. This study tests the hypothesis that taurine supplementation ameliorates this adverse effect. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed normal rat chow and drank water containing beta-alanine from conception until weaning (taurine depletion, TD). After weaning, female offspring were fed normal rat chow and drank either water containing 5% glucose (TDG) or water alone (TDW). At 6-7 weeks of age, half the rats in each group were supplemented with taurine and 1 week later subjected to cardiac IR. Body weight, heart weight, plasma electrolytes, plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and hematocrit were not significantly different among the four groups. The mean arterial pressures significantly increased in all groups after IR, but values were not significantly different among the four groups. Heart rates were significantly increased after IR only in TDW group. Compared to TDW, TDG displayed increased plasma cardiac injury markers (creatinine kinase-MB, troponin T, and N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide), increased sympathetic activity, decreased parasympathetic activity, and decreased baroreflex sensitivity after IR. Taurine supplementation completely restored the baroreflex and autonomic dysfunction of TDG to TDW levels and partially decreased myocardial injury after cardiac IR. The present study indicates that in adult female rats, perinatal taurine depletion followed by high sugar intake after weaning exacerbates cardiac IR injury and arterial pressure dysregulation and these adverse effects can be partially prevented by taurine supplementation.