The potential role of taurine in acetaminophen hepatotoxic induced rats

Abstract

Taurine demonstrates an important cytoprotective function in the body, regulating oxidative and inflammation in various conditions. Taurine is actively synthesized in the hepatocyte, moreover, it confers protection to oxidative mediated injury in the liver. Acetaminophen, which has been shown to trigger oxidative related liver damage, is administered in its hepatotoxic dose to rats in this study. The preventive and regulatory role of taurine is investigated in this study. Twenty five adult male wistar rats were grouped into 5 distinct groups labeled the positive control group, negative control group, groups administered with taurine 12 hours prior acetaminophen administration, simultaneously with acetaminophen and an hour after acetaminophen was administered. The study indicated that taurine significantly reduced acetaminophen-induced liver injury in an in vivo rat model. Adding taurine either 12 hours before or at the time of acetaminophen treatment effectively prevented hepatocyte necrosis. Moreover, administering taurine 1 hour after the onset of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity significantly improved liver injury, as evidenced by reduced hepatocyte necrosis, possibly through its unique cytoprotective properties such as antioxidant activity. Keywords: Taurine, Acetaminophen, Hepatotoxicity, Antioxidant