Long-term taurine supplementation reduces mortality rate in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. Taurine and vitamin E + selenium supplementation has some benefits in experimental models of diabetes mellitus. This study evaluates whether taurine and vitamin E + selenium supplementations reduce a hard end-point such as mortality due to diabetes. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were fed with standard diet or taurine (5%, w/w) or vitamin E (500 UI/Kg) + selenium (8 mg/Kg) enriched diets. Taurine significantly decreased mortality rate (p<0.04), while vitamin E failed to increase survival. In the late phase of the disease, taurine significantly decreased glycaemia, being vitamin E ineffective. No correlation between glycaemia and survival was found. None of supplementations modified body weight. Thus, only taurine decreases the mortality rate and glycaemia. These results encourage new research in the field, since classical hypoglycaemic agents are unable to decrease mortality in diabetic patients.