Dietary taurine supplementation reduces plasma and liver cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet

The effect of dietary taurine supplementation on plasma and hepatic lipid levels and phospholipid profiles were evaluated in rats fed a high- cholesterol diet. Three groups of male rats were fed one of the following diets for 5 weeks: control diet (CD, cholesterol-free diet); high cholesterol diet (HCD, CD + 1.5% cholesterol); or high cholesterol, high taurine diet (HCHTD, CD + 1.5% cholesterol + 1.5% taurine). There was no significant difference in cumulative body weight gain among groups. However, liver weight and liver to body weight ratio were significantly greater in rats fed HCD than those fed CD, and were lower in rats fed HCHTD than those fed HCD (p<0.05). Rats fed HCD showed significantly higher plasma levels of total cholesterol (77% higher) and LDL+VLDL-cholesterol (181% higher), whereas HDL- cholesterol concentration was lower in rats fed HCD than in controls. Rats fed HCHTD had significantly lower plasma concentrations of total cholesterol (31% lower), LDL+VLDL-cholesterol (38% lower) and triglyceride (43% lower) than those fed HCD alone. Hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also significantly elevated in rats fed HCD compared to those fed CD. Taurine supplementation to HCD significantly lowered hepatic cholesterol (49% lower) and triglyceride (30% lower) concentrations compared to those fed HCD alone. Rats fed HCD had significantly higher phosphatidylcholine (PC) / phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) ratio in the liver homogenates than those fed CD, and rats fed HCHTD had significantly lower hepatic PC/PE ratio than those fed HCD. Hepatic PC/PE ratio exhibited significant positive correlations with both plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations (p<0.05). These results suggest the hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic effects of dietary taurine supplementation in rats fed a high cholesterol diet.