The investigation of protective effect of taurine on oxidative stress induced by pyraclostrobin in rats

Pyraclostrobin is a widely used strobilurin derivative fungicide and impairs reproductive performance and embryonal development, together with oxidative stress and DNA damage in the organism. Taurine, obtained from the amino acid cysteine, plays an important role in metabolic processes such as antioxidant, cytoprotective, and osmoregulation. In this study, it was aimed to determine the possible protective efficacy of taurine against oxidative stress in male rats given pyraclostrobin. In the study, Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups with 8 animals in each group. In the study, rats were given corn oil, 30 mg/kg pyraclostrobin, and 30 mg/kg pyraclostrobin with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg taurine by gastric gavage for 28 days. It was determined that pyraclostrobin application increased some biochemical parameters (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine) and malondialdehyde levels, while on the contrary, it caused a decrease in glutathione and antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase and catalase levels. In addition, apoptotic (Bax, Caspase 3, Caspase 8, Caspase 9 and p53) and pro-inflammatory (TNF-α and NFκB) genes and CYP2E1 mRNA expression levels increased and the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 mRNA expression levels decreased by pyraclostrobin treatment in liver tissue. Also, it was observed that pyraclostrobin application increased DNA damage and caused histopathological changes in tissues. It was determined that 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg doses of taurine administered together with pyraclostrobin reversed the changes caused by pyraclostrobin. As a result, it was determined that taurine had a cytoprotective effect together with its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects against the oxidative damage induced by pyraclostrobin.