DefinePK

Abstract

Background: Taurine and beta-alanine have similar structures and compete for the same transporter. The ability to retain taurine and carnosine is impaired in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study was carried out to compare the effect of taurine and beta-alanine on blood sugar, serum insulin, and insulin resistance, in T2DM rats. Methods: This laboratory-based experimental study was conducted from Jul to Sep 2020. Ninety male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups, each comprising of 30 rats. All rats were fed on a taurine-free high-fat diet for 4 weeks. Rats were supplemented in drinking water, as follows: Diabetic control rats with 0.02% (w/v) taurine, diabetic beta-alanine rats with 3% (w/v) beta-alanine, and diabetic taurine rats with 3% (w/v) taurine. On the 14th day, a single intraperitoneal injection of low dose streptozotocin (STZ) (35 mg/Kg), was administered to all rats. On the 21st day, tail vein sampling was done to confirm the development of T2DM. On the 28th day, rats were terminally anaesthetized and intra-cardiac blood samples were used to estimate the blood sugar, serum insulin, and HOMA-IR. Results: Significant differences were found between the control and taurine groups, as well as the beta-alanine and taurine groups. No significant differences were found in these parameters when control group was compared to beta-alanine group. Conclusion: Taurine significantly improves glucose homeostasis in diabetic rats. Future studies should explore taurine in combination with insulin to assess potential dose-sparing effects.
Pak J Physiol 2025;21(3):50–3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v21i3.1786