Abstract: Taurine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in mammalian tissues, however, its function has yet to be fully understood. Certain cellular processes are known to be modulated by taurine, e.g., calcium metabolism, protein phosphorylation, and osmoregulation. Taurine has been used with both experimental and clinical success in treating various cardiovascular diseases. Significantly, treatment with oral taurine has been beneficial in improving signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure. Taurine treatment is safe and inexpensive, and at the very least, taurine may be therapeutically useful as a nutritional supplement in patients with cardiovascular disease. Curiously, certain conditions or models of cardiovascular disease which benefit from taurine treatment exhibit increased levels of taurine in the heart. This article serves to review the various experimental and clinical models which have been used to study the paradoxical benefit of therapy with oral taurine.
Publication Year: 1976
Publication Date: 1976-10-01
Language: en
Type: review
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 44
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot