Table 1.

Established antihypertensive actions of taurine in adults

Sites	Actions of taurine
Heart	Decrease cardiac hypertrophy in hypertension
	Improve cardiac contractility in ischemic heart
	Prevent cardiac injury in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion
	Inhibit local renin-angiotensin system
Blood vessels	Increase vasorelaxation in response to vasodilators
	Decrease vasoconstriction in response to vasoconstrictors
	Decrease vascular growth in hypertension
Kidney	Increase diuresis and natriuresis
	Maintain normal renal excretory function
	Decrease renal injury with advancing age
	Improve renal function in hypertension
Brain	Restore norepinephrine content in hypothalamus and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM)
	Attenuate pressor effects of angiotensin II at RVLM
	Improve baroreflex sensitivity in hypertension
	Direct antihypertension as a neuromodulator
Autonomic nervous system	Decrease sympathetic outflow in hypertension via hypothalamus and RVLM
	Decrease norepinephrine release from peripheral sympathetic nerves
Renin-angiotensin system	Inhibit renin-angiotensin system overactivity in hypertension
	Inhibit angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy
Glucose-insulin regulation	Increase insulin secretion
	Increase tissue glucose uptake
	Improve insulin resistance in sugar-induced hypertension
Antioxidant	Convert superoxides to taurochloramine
	Increase serum NO and NO synthase activity