Cellular and molecular neurobiology
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Cell. Mol. Neurobiol. · Jun 2008
Neuroprotective mechanism of taurine due to up-regulating calpastatin and down-regulating calpain and caspase-3 during focal cerebral ischemia.
Taurine as an endogenous substance possesses a number of cytoprotective properties. In the study, we have evaluated the neuroprotective effect of taurine and investigated whether taurine exerted neuroprotection through affecting calpain/calpastatin or caspase-3 actions during focal cerebral ischemia, since calpain and caspase-3 play central roles in ischemic neuronal death. ⋯ Our data demonstrate the dose-dependent neuroprotection of taurine against transient focal cerebral ischemia, and suggest that one of protective mechanisms of taurine against ischemia may be blocking the m-calpain and caspase-3-mediated apoptotic cell death pathways.