Dietary taurine reduces hepatic secretion of cholesteryl ester and enhances fatty acid oxidation in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet.

We investigated the fate of exogenous fatty acid in connection with decreased hepatic accumulation and secretion of cholesteryl esters in rats fed diets containing taurine. Providing taurine as 5% of the diet for 14 d significantly decreased concentrations of cholesterol, especially cholesteryl esters in both serum and liver. Ketone body production and incorporation of exogenous [1-(14)C]oleate into ketone bodies in liver perfusate were consistently higher during a 4-h perfusion period in taurine-fed rats than in control rats.