Taurine Supplementation Restores Insulin Secretion and Reduces ER Stress Markers in Protein-Malnourished Mice - Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - page 122

Chapter 14
Taurine Supplementation Restores Insulin
Secretion and Reduces ER Stress Markers
in Protein-Malnourished Mice
Thiago Martins Batista , Priscilla Muniz Ribeiro da Silva ,
Andressa Godoy Amaral , Rosane Aparecida Ribeiro ,
Antonio Carlos Boschero , and Everardo Magalhães Carneiro
Abstract Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a cellular response to increased
intra-reticular protein accumulation or poor ER function. Chronic activation of this
pathway may lead to beta cell death and metabolic syndrome (MS). Poor nutrition
during perinatal period, especially protein malnutrition, is associated with increased
risk for MS in later life. Here, we analyzed the effects of taurine (TAU) supplemen-
tation upon insulin secretion and ER stress marker expression in pancreatic islets
and in the liver from mice fed a low-protein diet. Malnourished mice had lower
body weight and plasma insulin. Their islets secreted less insulin in response to
stimulatory concentrations of glucose. TAU supplementation increased insulin
secretion in both normal protein and malnourished mice. Western blot analysis
revealed lower expression of the ER stress markers CHOP and ATF4 and increased
phosphorylation of the survival protein Akt in pancreatic islets of TAU-supplemented
mice. The phosphorylation of the mitogenic protein extracellular signal-regulated
kinase (ERK1/2) was increased after acute incubation with TAU. Finally, the ER
stress markers p-PERK and BIP were increased in the liver of malnourished mice
and TAU supplementation normalized these parameters.
T. M. Batista ( * ) ￿ P. M. R. da Silva ￿ A. C. Boschero ￿ E. M. Carneiro
Departamento de Biologia Funcional e Estrutural, Instituto de Biologia,
Universidade Estadual de Campinas , SP , Brazil
e-mail: [e-mail]
A. G. Amaral
Divisão de Nefrologia e Medicina Molecular ,
Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo , SP , Brazil
R. A. Ribeiro
Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Sócio-Ambiental de Macaé (NUPEM),
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) , Macaé , RJ , Brazil