EFFECT OF TAURINE AND BETA-ALANINE ON BLOOD GLUCOSE, SERUM INSULIN, AND INSULIN RESISTANCE IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC RATS

Authors

  • Amina Rasul Department of Physiology, Watim Medical & Dental College, Rawat, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Arsal Sami Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Ghazala Jawwad Department of Physiology, Bahria University College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Nadia Latif Department of Physiology, Fazaia Medical College, Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Irum Rehman Department of Physiology, Margalla Institute of Health Sciences, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
  • Jaleel Kamran Department of Physiology, Watim Dental College, Rawat, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v21i3.1786

Keywords:

Beta-alanine, Diabetes mellitus, High-fat diet, Insulin resistance, Taurine

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

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Published

30-09-2025

How to Cite

1.
Rasul A, Sami AS, Ghazala Jawwad, Latif N, Irum Rehman, Kamran J. EFFECT OF TAURINE AND BETA-ALANINE ON BLOOD GLUCOSE, SERUM INSULIN, AND INSULIN RESISTANCE IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC RATS. Pak J Phsyiol [Internet]. 2025 Sep. 30 [cited 2025 Oct. 10];21(3):50-3. Available from: https://pjp.pps.org.pk/index.php/PJP/article/view/1786

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 3 (2025): Pak J Physiol

Section

Original Article

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Copyright (c) 2025 Amina Rasul, Arsal Sami, Ghazala Jawwad, Nadia Latif, Irum Rehman, Jaleel Kamran

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