Protective effect of taurine on the mitochondria of albino rats induced with fulminant hepatic failure

Fulminant hepatic failure is a dramatic and challenging syndrome in clinical medicine associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide and can be completely reversed. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid), a non-protein sulfur containing amino acid, the most abundant free amino acid with several essential roles in the human body holds a lot of promise in this regard. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of taurine on liver mitochondrial function in d-galactosamine (d-galN), a hepatotoxin-induced liver failure – an experimental model for fulminant hepatic failure in Wistar strain male albino rats. Dietary supplementation of 100 mg/kg body weight taurine for 30 days had significantly improved mitochondrial function, namely enhanced activities of mitochondrial enzymes SDH, NADH dehydrogenase, and mitochondrial membrane Na+ K+ ATPase, decreased lipid peroxidation, and preserved levels of antioxidant molecule GSH and antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT and GPx. The protective effect of taurine may be attributed to its potent antioxidant and membrane stabilizing actions.