The effect of taurine on the salt-dependent blood pressure increase in the voltage-dependent calcium channel beta 3-subunit-deficient mouse.

To examine the anti-hypertensive effect of taurine, we studied the effects of taurine on the salt-dependent blood pressure elevation, the electrocardiogram, and plasma catecholamine levels in the voltage-dependent calcium channel beta3-subunit-deficient mouse. In the wild-type mice, chronic high-salt loading (8% NaCl in chow) did not increase the blood pressure, whereas there was a significant increase in the systolic blood pressure in the beta3-subunit-deficient mice given a high-salt diet. Oral supplementation of taurine (3% in drinking water) could attenuate the increase in the blood pressure elicited by the high-salt diet. Plasma catecholamine levels were significantly decreased by the high-salt diet, and supplementation of taurine prevented those decreases in beta3-subunit-deficient mice. It is suggested, therefore, that chronic supplementation of taurine has an anti-hypertensive action in salt-dependent blood pressure elevation.