Taurine treatment inhibits CaMKII activity and modulates the presence of calbindin D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the brain

Abstract

Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is present at high concentrations in many invertebrate and vertebrate systems and has several biological functions. In addition, it has been related to a neuroprotective role against several diseases such as epilepsy. In the present work, we treated mice with taurine and examined its effects on the expression of proteins in the hippocampus associated with calcium regulation. Taurine treatment alters the presence of calbindin-D28k, calretinin, and parvalbumin in the brain, mainly in the hippocampus. It also reduced CaMKII activity, indicating that taurine could alter calcium signaling pathways. However, the activity of calpain, a protease related to apoptosis induced by calcium signalling, did not change. The concentration of taurine in the hippocampus was also unaffected by the treatment. These results provide new insight into the role of taurine in calcium homeostasis.

Hypothyroid States Mitigate the Diabetes-Induced Reduction of Calbindin D-28k, Calretinin, and Parvalbumin Immunoreactivity in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

“…In in vitro cell culture and in vivo studies, the overexpression of hippocampal CB and PV reduced calcium-induced cell death [37,38]. Taurine treatment had neuroprotective effects against several diseases through increasing the levels of CB, CR, and PV in mice brains [39]. It has been reported that hypothyroidism states in animals have neuroprotective effects with reduced oxidative stress, decreased necrosis and apoptosis [40], or delayed neuronal death [41].…”

Taurine Protects Primary Neonatal Cardiomyocytes Against Apoptosis Induced by Hydrogen Peroxide

“…32) Another report showed that the changes in Cam and CaMKII induced by taurine treatment could be attributed to differences in the levels of calcium or alterations in calcium signaling pathways. 33) Taurine affects the opening of chloride channels by interactions with γ-aminobutyric acid receptors, glycine receptors, or taurine receptors, thereby preventing the increase in calcium influx and other downstream events. 32) CaMKII/p53 signaling cascade plays an important role in apoptosis.…”

Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Taurine against Ischemic Stroke

“…In the CNS it plays a role in: neuromodulation [55,56,57], osmoregulation [33,58], the maintenance of calcium homeostasis [59,60,61,62,63], membrane stabilization [64], anti-oxidation [65,66], anti-inflammation [67,68] and neuroprotection [59,69,70,71,72,73] and is also seen as a trophic factor during CNS development [40,74]. Its neuroprotective effect is observed against l -glutamate induced excitotoxicity whereby it counteracts the glutamate-induced increase of intracellular calcium through L-, P/Q-, N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and the N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor, thus preventing glutamate-induce membrane depolarization [59,69].…”