Taurine-mediated browning of white adipose tissue is involved in its anti-obesity effect in mice.

ABSTRACT: Taurine, a nonprotein amino acid, is widely distributed in almost all animal tissues. Ingestion of taurine helps to improve obesity and its related metabolic disorders. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the protective role of taurine against obesity is not completely understood. In this study, it was found that intraperitoneal treatment of mice with taurine alleviated high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, improved insulin sensitivity, and increased energy expenditure and adaptive thermogenesis of the mice. Meanwhile, administration of the mice with taurine markedly induced the browning of inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) with significantly elevated expression of PGC1?, UCP1, and other thermogenic genes in iWAT. In vitro studies indicated that taurine also induced the development of brown-like adipocytes in C3H10T1/2 white adipocytes. Knockdown of PGC1? blunted the role of taurine in promoting the brown-like adipocyte phenotypes in C3H10T1/2 cells. Moreover, taurine treatment enhanced AMPK phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo, and knockdown of AMPK?1 prevented taurine-mediated induction of PGC1? in C3H10T1/2 cells. Consistently, specific knockdown of PGC1? in iWAT of the HFD-fed mice inhibited taurine-induced browning of iWAT, with the role of taurine in the enhancement of adaptive thermogenesis, the prevention of obesity, and the improvement of insulin sensitivity being partially impaired. These results reveal a functional role of taurine in facilitating the browning of white adipose tissue, which depends on the induction of PGC1?. Our studies also suggest a potential mechanism for the protective role of taurine against obesity, which involves taurine-mediated browning of white adipose tissue.

SUBMITTER: Guo YY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6791308 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature