The Effects of Taurine, Taurine Homologs and Hypotaurine on Cell and Membrane Antioxidative System Alterations Caused by Type 2 Diabetes in Rat Erythrocytes

This study compared taurine, aminomethanesulfonic acid, homotaurine and hypotaurine for the ability to modify indices of oxidative stress and membrane damage associated with type 2 diabetes. In the study, male Goto-Kakizaki and Wistar-Kyoto rats were allowed free access to a high fat and normal diet, respectively, for 9 weeks. At the end of week 8, half of the animals in each group received a daily intraperitoneal dose of a sulfur compound (0.612 M/kg) for 5 days and, 24 hr after the last treatment, blood samples were withdrawn by cardiac puncture to obtain plasma and erythrocyte fractions for biochemical analyses. Relative to control values, taurine and its congeners reduced membrane damage, the formation of intracellular malondialdehyde and oxidized glutathione, and the decreases in reduced glutathione and antioxidative enzyme activities in diabetic erythrocytes. Except for a few isolated instances, all test compounds were equiprotective.