Scope: The identification of novel therapeutic agents capable of modulating lipid metabolism holds a promising potential in combating obesity and its associated complications. This study is conducted to evaluate the lipid lowering effect of dietary taurine administration on high-fat fed C57BL6 mice and to study the mechanism by which taurine impacts lipid metabolism.
Methods and results: C57BL6 mice are grouped into four (n = 6): i) normal diet (ND), ii) a high-fat diet (HFD), iii) HFD + orlistat (STD), iv) HFD + taurine (TAU) group for 12 weeks. The results show that taurine administration for 12 weeks reduces high fat-induced weight gain, and liver weight when compared with HFD fed mice. It also improves serum biochemical parameters like total cholesterol and triglycerides. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activity, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels, SIRT1 mRNA, and protein expression are increased in HFD + TAU diet group as compared to HFD group. Taurine treatment suppresses the expression of lipogenic genes (sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c [SREBP1c], fatty acid synthase [FAS], Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma [PPARγ]) and increases the expression of β-oxidation (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha [PPARα], liver x receptor beta [LXRβ], peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha [PGC1α], AMP-activated protein kinase [AMPK]) and lipolytic (forkhead box protein O1 [FOXO1]) genes. Further, taurine mitigates hepatic inflammation by suppressing nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) gene expression and pro-inflammatory cytokine markers (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNFα).
Conclusion: Taurine exerts lipid lowering effects through activating SIRT1/AMPK/FOXO1 signaling pathways and regulating their downstream targets.
Keywords: SIRT1; high fat diet fed mice; obesity; taurine.
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