Abstract

R. Chahine*, J. Hanna, C. Bassil, N. Rihana, A. Mounayar and H. Greige

Taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, has been reported to play an antihypertensive role but the mechanism underlying this activity is yet to be defined. In this study, we investigate the effect of taurine on blood pressure by oral administration in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Total heart weight, left ventricular weight, lipid peroxidation as well as glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase activities (SOD) were determined together with histopathological examination of heart tissue. Results indicate that four weeks of oral taurine administered significantly decreased the systolic blood pressure from 174.6 ± 6.4 to 140.08 ± 8.2 mm Hg (p < 0.05). This was associated with significant reduction of the left ventricular mass in cardiac tissues. Lipid peroxidation of the heart tissue was depressed, while SOD and GSH activities significantly increased in SHR under taurine treatment. Moreover, histological inspection of cardiac sections revealed a smaller cardiomyocytes diameter in taurine- treated animals when compared to controls. We conclude that taurine reduces blood pressure in SHR and decreases cardiac hypertrophy by impacting the antioxidant activity