ARJUN’s SCIENCE UPDATE

Effects of taurine on animal health revealed by an 11 year study

Arjun D, Year 12 writes...

Super protein taurine can extend life!

Found in energy drinks and cell tissues the protein taurine can delay ageing in mice and monkeys. However can it slow our ageing and make us live longer?

What is taurine?

Taurine is an amino acid (a building-block that makes up a protein) found in many of our cells and tissues. It is produced in the body (mainly in the liver) and can be ingested by eating most animal foods (e.g. chicken and turkey) and its even found in energy drinks. For some organisms taurine is necessary as a nutrient, but in humans its a non-essential β-amino acid that protects our stomach mucus from being injured or damaged (nothing to do with affecting hydrochloric acid in stomach). However human cells without taurine are much more vulnerable and sensitive to disease. Research shows lack of taurine is a driver of ageing in some organisms and taurine levels in the bloodstream directly correlates with immune function, obesity, the nervous system and even building bone.

Mice of both genders (sexes) fed with taurine supplements survived longer than mice not given taurine supplements. The amount of time the mice treated with taurine lived (their lifespan) increased by 10 to 12%, and their life expectancy of 28 months increased by about 18 to 25% because of the taurine supplements.

The scientists measured different aspects of mice health discovering at age 2 (60 in human years), mice supplemented with taurine for one year were healthier in almost every way than their untreated mice. For example mice on taurine supplements lost less energy as heat (increased energy expenditure), had a higher bone mass, had muscles with higher endurance and strength, had reduced behaviour defects (e.g. anxious or depression-like behaviour), and even had a lower resistance to insulin production (insulin resistance) as well as showing other benefits.

Due to the positive impact of taurine supplements on mice (which had low taurine levels) rhesus monkeys, unicellular yeast and even worms were tested for similar effects.

Results

The study firstly showed taurine deficiency is a driver of ageing in animals tested not just a product that forms as a result of ageing. Also animals supplemented with taurine both lived longer and had healthier lives (longer lifespan and healthspan) so scientists speculate that if taurine is regulating all these processes (e.g. bone density, immune system, blood-glucose levels) that decline with age in lots of different manycelled (multicellular) species e.g.(worms, monkeys and mice). Then hopefully eating more taurine-rich food or taking taurine supplements will similarly extend our lifespan (number of years we are alive) and healthspan (number of years our health is good).

What happens as we age?

• The amount of the semiessential amino acid taurine in our bloodstream decreases

• A repetitive sequence of DNA at the tips of chromosomes (telomeres) ensure the chromosome (part of cell which carries genes) maintains its shape and does not get tangled. As we age telomeres shorten (like a shinpad every time it gets hit by the ball it gets worn similarly every time cell divides telomeres become shorter, eventually it becomes too short for cells to replicate)

• number of cells which can not divide or grow in number (senescent cells) increases

What does taurine do to decrease ageing and keep us healthy for longer?

Taurine has been discovered to cause among other benefits

1. Reduction in number of cells that lose the ability to grow in number or divide (cellular senescence)

2. Limitation of deficiency of the enzyme telomerase (telomerase is like a plumber fixing the tips of chromosomes)

3. Suppressed mitochondrial dysfunction - Mitochondria (part of cell that releases energy) mutates 10-20 times faster than DNA, taurine limits number of mutations that reduce efficiency of

Energy Production

4. Reduction in number of old cells that should of died but release harmful substances and remain active instead “zombie cells”

5. increase in number of stem cells (undifferentiated cells that can differentiate to become any type of cell e.g. a red blood cell) in some tissues - this helps injuries to heal faster increasing health

Overall, lower taurine, hypotaurine, or N-acetyltaurine concentrations in bloodstream have been linked to worsened health e.g. obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), inflammation, and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, exercise increased the concentrations of taurine substances involved in metabolism (taurine metabolites) in blood this could explain why exercise keeps us healthier for longer.

Columbia University’s metabolomic (analysis of substances needed or formed by chemical reactions that occur in organisms to keep them alive) analysis to identify chemical reactions between metabolites (substances involved in metabolism or chemical reactions) showed taurine is the most significant substance in reducing severity of age-related diseases.

Arjun’s conclusion

Although taurine has been found to increase lifespan and healthspan in many different multicellular species before we can assume that taurine can be used as an anti-ageing therapy in humans we need to test it in clinical trials on thousands of humans. Also before administering taurine supplements as age boosting we need to explore the effects of ingesting a high concentration of taurine as used in the experiments (even though taurine is not toxic we do not know of side effects in high concentration)

So I believe the next step is clinical trials and for now I’m hopeful for a longer and healthier life so good luck to taurine in the trials! Mysteries awaiting discovery How do structure and functions of molecules cause changes associated with ageing?

Although taurine is not considered toxic what are the side effects of taurine in high concentrations in humans? Although there are many plausible explanations for causes of ageing what is the main factor that causes it?