Logo image
Back
Mechanism of neuroprotective function of taurine
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Mechanism of neuroprotective function of taurine

Jang-Yen Wu, Heng Wu, Ying Jin, Jianning Wei, Di Sha, Howard Prentice, Hsin-Hsueh Lee, Chun-Hua Lin, Yi-Hsuan Lee and Ling-Ling Yang
Advances in experimental medicine and biology, v 643, pp 169-179
2009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-75681-3_17
PMID: 19239147
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

Animals Apoptosis - drug effects bcl-2-Associated X Protein - metabolism Blotting, Western Calcium Channels - metabolism Calcium-Binding Proteins - pharmacology Calpain - metabolism Cells, Cultured Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel Enzyme Activation Glutamic Acid - pharmacology Ion Channel Gating Neurons - cytology Neurons - drug effects Neurons - enzymology Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - metabolism Rats Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - metabolism Taurine - pharmacology
Taurine has potent protective function against glutamate-induced neuronal injury presumably through its function in regulation of intracellular free calcium level, [Ca2+]i. In this communication, we report that taurine exerts its protective function through one or more of the following mechanisms: 1. Inhibition of glutamate-induced calcium influx through L-, N- and P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels and NMDA receptor calcium channel; 2. Attenuation of glutamate-induced membrane depolarization; 3. Prevention of glutamate-induced apoptosis via preventing glutamate-mediated down-regulation of Bcl-2; 4. Prevention of cleavage of Bcl-2 by calpain. This action of taurine is due to its inhibition on glutamate induced calpain activation. Based on these observations, we propose that taurine protects neurons against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in part, by preventing glutamate-induced membrane depolarization, elevation of [Ca2+]i, activation of calpain, reduction of Bcl-2 and apoptosis.

Metrics

13 Record Views
57 citations in Web of Science
59 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Web of Science research areas
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Logo image