Effect of Taurine Feeding on Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Rats - Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - page 54

Table 6.10 Femur BMD and BMC of rats fed experimental diets
Variables Control Taurine Signi fi cance

FBMD (g/cm 2 ) 0.218 ± 0.007 1 0.230 ± 0.017 NS 2

FBMC (g) 0.454 ± 0.033 0.48 ± 0.041 NS

FBMD/wt (kg) 0.55 ± 0.02 0.60 ± 0.05 NS

FBMC(g)/wt (kg) 1.16 ± 0.05 1.27 ± 0.10 *

* p < 0.05
1 Mean ± SD
2 NS not significantly different at p < 0.05

Taurine supplementation did not significantly affect the spine BMD and femur
BMD. But these data suggested that FBMC per weight was significantly increased,
without bone markers, in the taurine-supplemented diet. Therefore, it is possible
that dietary taurine might be used to reduce the burden of osteoporosis.

6.4 Discussion

In the present study, taurine supplementation to the growing male rats increased
femur BMC per weight and had marked effects on early growth stage. Compared
with control group, rats given taurine supplementation diet had higher values for
both femur and femur per weight BMC, as suggested previously by Choi and
DiMarco (Choi and DiMarco 2009 ). Also, taurine supplementation has been shown
to have a positive effect on bone in OVX rats with appropriate calcium (Choi and
DiMarco 2009 ) but no positive effects in the ovariectomized rats fed a calcium-
deficient diet (Choi 2009 ). Taurine supplementation may have an effect on GH/
IGF-1 axis, and taurine has been shown to stimulate GH secretion in rats (Ikuyama
et al. 1988 ) and in the human (Mantovani and DeVivo 1979 ). In animal studies, a
resistance to IGF-I at the cellular level has been proposed as a possible mechanism
causing bone loss during immobilization (Sakata et al. 2004 ) . In summary, dietary
taurine supplemented at 2% of the diet by weight offers potential to increase BMC.
Because taurine is also known to reduce atherosclerosis and inflammation in experi-
mental animal models (Belury 2002 ), it could prove beneficial in the overall
management of chronic disease (Hayes and Stuiman 1981 ). In another study, Ji
et al. ( 2012 ) reported that taurine was proved having the proliferation-promoting
and anti-replicative senescence effect on rat bone marrow-derived multipotent
stromal cells (BMSCs), providing a new view angle to understand the protecting
and nourishing effect of taurine.
These results indicate that taurine supplementation might have a beneficial effect
on bone in growing rats. In conclusion, we show that the addition of 2% taurine in
control diet increase femur BMC per weight in growing male rats.