The Role of Taurine on Skeletal Muscle Cell Differentiation - Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - page 300

Chapter 29
The Role of Taurine on Skeletal
Muscle Cell Differentiation
Teruo Miyazaki , Akira Honda , Tadashi Ikegami ,
and Yasushi Matsuzaki
Abstract Taurine abundantly contained in the skeletal muscle has been considered
as one of essential factors for the differentiation and growth of skeletal muscles. The
previous studies in the taurine transporter knockout mice showed that deficiency of
taurine content in the skeletal muscle caused incomplete muscular developments,
morphological abnormalities, and exercise abilities. In fetal and neonatal periods,
taurine must be an essential amino acid due to no biosynthesis capacity, and there-
fore, taurine should be endogenously supplied through placenta and maternal milk.
In general cell culture condition, taurine contained in the culture medium is absent
or few, and therefore, most of cultured cells are in taurine-deficient condition. In the
present study, we confirmed, in cultured mouse differentiable myoblast, taurine
treatment significantly enhanced the differentiation to myotube in a dose-dependent
manner, while these effects were abrogated by inhibitions of taurine transport and
Ca 2+ signaling pathway.
T. Miyazaki ( * )
Joint Research Center , Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center ,
3-20-1 Chuo , Ami , Ibaraki 300-0395 , Japan
e-mail: [e-mail]
A. Honda
Joint Research Center , Tokyo Medical University
Ibaraki Medical Center , Ami , Ibaraki , Japan
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology,
Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center,
Ami , Ibaraki , Japan
T. Ikegami ￿ Y. Matsuzaki
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology ,
Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center,
Ami , Ibaraki , Japan