Effect of taurine on toxicity of aluminum in rats

Background & aims: A study was undertaken to investigate the effect of taurine on the toxicity of aluminum in male Wistar rats. Methods: The rats were divided into six groups and fed different diets with or without 5% taurine and 150-300 ppm aluminum added for 2 months. Results: It was found that the body weight of rats, the ratios of liver and kidney weight to body weight, and the level of glutathione in the liver were decreased with increasing the dose of aluminum. The levels of aluminum in the liver and kidney, the levels of TBARS in the plasma and liver, the activities of AST and ALT in the plasma and the levels of BUN and creatinine in the plasma of rats were increased with the increasing dose of aluminum. Hence, symptoms of aluminum toxicity in rats included loss of body weight, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Conclusions: However, these toxic effects of aluminum were significantly reduced when the rats fed diet with taurine added. Furthermore, the level of aluminum in the feces of rats treated with taurine and aluminum was higher than that of rats treated with aluminum alone. It indicated that taurine might play a role in reducing the toxic effect of aluminum in rats.