Taurine abrogates mammary carcinogenesis through induction of apoptosis in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Breast cancer is one of the most severe problems in oncology. Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid with vital biological functions. The current study was intended to investigate the abnormalities in the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins that lead to the progression of 7,12-dimethyl benz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer and to expose the protective effect of taurine on it. Rats were induced with DMBA by gastric intubation to induce breast cancer. Breast cancer-bearing animals were posttreated with taurine. The breast tumors induced by DMBA, analyzed in the current study, were characterized by increased protein/DNA expression of Bcl-2 associated with downregulation in the expression of p53, Bax, and caspases. Taurine treatment reverted all the above changes induced by DMBA and inhibited the development of rat breast carcinoma through its ability to induce apoptosis.